By Disney+ has begun early development of a young adult reimagined adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s original 1909-published “The Phantom of the Opera” novel.
“High School Musical” and “The Descendants” director Kenny Ortega will direct and executive produce the project for Disney Branded Entertainment, a return to the studio for the filmmaker following a stint at Netflix.
Giovanni M. Porta (“At Midnight”) penned the script from a story by Porta and Eric Bromberg. The aim is to become a franchise similar to “The Descendants” if it moves forward, but the project is still in the early development phase.
Set in the 1880s, the book follows Erik – a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. He becomes obsessed with a young soprano, Christine, and manipulates events to make her the star of the opera.
The story has been adapted to the screen many times with the likes of Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, Herbert Lom, Maximilian Schell, Robert Englund, Charles Dance and Julian Sands having played the Phantom.
There’s also the famed Andrew Lloyd Weber stage musical adaptation which has run for decades and got its own film in 2004 with Gerard Butler starring.
Source: Deadline
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