Netflix and Idris Elba are developing a far more serious filmmaking relationship than we realized. The actor is set to star and produce a new series called “Turn Up Charlie” for the streaming service, but the news today is that his partnership with Netflix is growing, with the addition of a modern day remake of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elba has signed on to direct and star in the new film, which is set to be written by Michael Mitnick. As mentioned, the film is a re-telling of the classic story by Victor Hugo, set in the modern day. The story follows Quasimodo, who is the titular hunchback that falls in love with Esmeralda. For most people, they know of the ‘90s Disney film of the same name. THR describes this new adaptation as a “sonic and musical experience.”
‘The Hunchback’ won’t be Elba’s first foray behind the camera. He recently debuted his first feature film, titled “Yardie,” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The director is also responsible for producing the original music for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Elba is, of course, one of the biggest actors in the world, and has starred in a variety of films and TV series, and can most recently be seen in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Mitnick is adapting the story, but is probably best known for scripting films such as “The Current War” and “The Giver.”
There’s no word yet on a release date, but Netflix tends to work pretty fast, so we can probably expect further news on the film shortly.