Jason Merritt/Getty; Walt Disney Pictures/courtesy Everett Questlove's live-actionAristocatsmovie has been sent to the litter box. The musician and filmmaker bornAhmir Thompsonhad been tapped to direct a new adaptation of the 1970 Disney animated musical but revealed during a recentinterview onScore: The Podcastthat the project has been shelved. "Once Disney had their third president, usually when a new administration comes in, no matter what — they're going to reshuffle," he explained to hosts Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader when asked for an update on the movie. Questlove said that "the third time in which a new administration came in" he had to once again do the "song and dance" of explaining his vision for the project, and even showed studio execs "some of the music examples" and some of the people who would be working with him on the film. "Then they had another administration shuffle," he continued. "And then it was like, 'Okay, well, all right.' And by the third time I was just like, maybe this isn't meant for me." Known as a co-frontman ofthe Rootsand anOscar-winning documentarian, Questlove said he doesn't have a lack of options for things to work on. "I would have loved to have done that project, but there's like 20 others that I can get to," he mused. "What I don't do is I don't make announcements until it's ready, but there's literally four other films — I'll be working till 2029-2030. So, just wasn't meant to happen. Maybe it will happen in the future." A Disney spokesperson didn't immediately respond toEntertainment Weekly's request for comment Friday. It was first reportedin March 2023 that Questlove was on board to direct, executive-produce, and oversee the music for an updated take onThe Aristocats, which was being billed as a "live-action hybrid reimagining" at the time. It was assumed that the newAristocatswould be similar to recent Disney remakes likeThe Lady and the Tramp, which mixed CGI animals with human actors. Will Gluck (Peter Rabbit) and Keith Bunin (Onward) were writing the script. Want more movie news? Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free newsletterto get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. The originalAristocatsis a Disney classic, following mother cat Duchess and her three kittens, Berlioz, Marie, and Toulouse, as they team up with alley cat Thomas O'Malley to find their way home. The movie has a killer soundtrack, including songs like "Thomas O'Malley Cat" and the jazzy "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat." In addition to several music videos, Questlove has directed the documentariesSummer of SoulandSly Lives, as well as the TV specialLadies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music.The Aristocatswould have served as his narrative directorial debut. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
