Things are looking up atWalt Disney Animation Studios- way up.Gigantic, Disney’s unique take onJack and the Beanstalk, will feature music from Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who greetedD23 Expofans in signature style-in song-alongside directorNathan Greno(Tangled) and producer Dorothy McKim (Get a Horse). Set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’sGiganticfollows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality-and who knew giants were so down to earth?
We reported back in April thatBreaking BadcreatorVince Gilligansold aBeanstalkmovie pitch to Disney.Breaking Badwriter-producerThomas Schnauzwas set to write the full screenplay, withVince Gilliganeyeing the project as his feature directorial debut. The project was said to be a revisionist take on the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, but no specific story details were given.
That initial report didn’t reveal whether the project was ananimatedorlive actionmovie, so it’s possible that Beanstalk movie andGiganticare two different projects. Since Disney didn’t announce who is writingGigantic, they could very well be one and the same, but if that’s the case, then it appearsNathan Grenois taken over as director, instead ofVince Gilliganmaking his directorial debut.
Setting this adventure in the Spanish Age of Exploration will certainly separate this project from a slew of Jack and the Beanstalk movies that have come before it. The most recent attempt was the 2012 live-action filmJack the Giant Slayer, directed byBryan Singer. The movie failed to pull in gigantic box office numbers, though, earning just $197 million worldwide from a $195 million budget.
We obviously have a long way to go beforeGigantichits theaters in 2018, but do you think this version of the classic story could be a bit hit at the box office? Or do you think it will fail to live up to the massive standards fans have placed on this beloved tale? Check out the first artwork fromGiganticbelow, and stay tuned for more updates.
