Disney Cancels Yet Another Live-Action Remake of a Beloved Classic

Disney’s live-action remake of its 1970 animated classic, The Aristocats, has reportedly been canceled, according to director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

The project, first announced in 2023, was set to follow a family of Parisian cats who are kidnapped by a greedy butler aiming to steal their inheritance. Questlove was tapped to direct the film, bringing his unique vision to the beloved animated story.

In an interview on Score: The Podcast, Questlove opened up about why the movie is no longer moving forward. “A new administration came in, and then I was like, ‘Okay, well, this is what I plan to do, and dadada, do the song and dance, and here’s some of the music examples, and there’s some team I’m working with dadada,’” he explained.

“And then they had another administration shuffle, and it was like, ‘Okay well. All right.’ And by the third time I was just like, ‘Maybe this isn’t meant for me, because there’s also, at least, like right now, there’s so much options I have in pickings.’”

Questlove added that while he would have loved to bring the project to life, he has plenty of other opportunities on his plate. “There’s like 20 others that I can get to… there’s literally four other films. I’ll be working till, you know, 2029, 2030. So, just wasn’t meant to happen. Maybe it’ll happen in the future.”

The live-action adaptation had been in the works for some time. In January 2022, Disney announced that Will Gluck would produce the film under his Olive Bridge Entertainment banner, with Keith Bunin co-writing the script alongside Gluck. Questlove officially joined the project as director in March 2023.

However, as of August 2025, the director confirmed that the movie is no longer moving forward, leaving fans of the original animated classic disappointed.

The Aristocats has remained a cherished Disney film since its 1970 release, known for its charming characters and iconic music.

While fans may have been excited to see a live-action version, changes in studio leadership and shifting priorities seem to have stalled the project indefinitely. Questlove’s comments suggest that while this version of The Aristocats is on hold, it may still have a chance to be revisited in the future.

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