Tim Burton takes on another family classic with Dumbo, the next live-action retelling of Disney’s greatest animated films.
Like the others before it, Dumbo appears to be sticking to script. A baby elephant is ridiculed by his fellow circus performers for his large ears, earning the titular nickname and cursing any child with similarly large features to have the moniker yelled at them by cruel classmates (I am not an emotionally scarred, big-eared person. Not at all…) Of course, Disney movies can’t end on such a downer, so Dumbo learns that his ears allow him to fly and he becomes the beloved star of the circus.
The story is familiar, but everyone knows director Tim Burton will push this in weird directions. Applying his style to any script changes it pretty drastically, and from the looks of this trailer, it seems like he had free reign to do what he wanted with Dumbo. His usual tics are all there, and that should tell you pretty fast whether this will be your thing or not.
With Burton comes his usual cast, or at least people who fit his particular look. Current muse Eva Green is back as is previous collaborators Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton. Also joining the fun is Colin Farrell as the man caring for little Dumbo while also contending with his own demons.
If you are one of the people complaining that Disney’s live-action remakes are vacuous cash grabs, you must admit that it’s harder to throw that accusation against this one. Burton isn’t a guy who will conform to the status quo, making Dumbo one of the few with a real chance of being its own, unique take.
Dumbo is directed by Tim Burton and stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito. It will be released in the US and the UK on March 29th, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
How do you think this new Dumbo will turn out? Let us know in the comments!
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