A story known for its horror elements and which is now a horror classic is getting a new adaptation onDisney+, and it’s not the revival I expected for it. The current trend of reboots, revivals, remakes, and legacy sequels has seen both hits and misses. While I admit I’m not a big fan of these, some of them have been surprisingly good and have successfully revived franchises or brought back attention to forgotten characters. That said, I would have expected a completely different treatment for a character who’s part of the select group ofUniversal’s Classic Monsters.
Disney has grown its power in the entertainment industry with its acquisitions and mergers, which have allowed the Mouse House to branch out to other genres under its different banners. Its streaming platform has also allowed Disney to constantly bring a lot more movies and TV shows that are somewhat more accessible to the audience, and among its upcoming and most surprising projects is a new movie adaptation ofThe Phantom of the Opera– but this definitely wasn’t the revival I was hoping for for this specific story and character.
The Phantom Of The Opera Is Getting A Disney+ YA Movie Adaptation
The Phantom Of The Opera Is Getting An Unexpected Revival
Out of all the projects that could be announced to be in development for Disney+,The Phantom of the Operawasn’t one that I would have expected, but even more surprising are the plans for it. According toDeadline,Disney+ is working on a young adult reimagining ofThe Phantom of the Opera, with Kenny Ortega on board as director and executive producer. This new version ofThe Phantom of the Operais being written by Giovanni M. Porta from a story by him and Eric Bromberg.
Kenny Ortega is the director of theHigh School Musicaltrilogy,Hocus Pocus, and theDescendantstrilogy.
According toDeadline’s report,Ortega’sThe Phantom of the Operacould become a franchisesimilar to what he has done withThe Descendants, which at this stage not only sounds too ambitious but also unnecessary for a story like this one.The Phantom of the Operacomes from Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel of the same name, which obviously makes music an important part of its story. Thanks to this, the most famous versions of the story are the musical ones: the 1986 stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher’s 2004 musical movie.
Every Phantom Of The Opera Adaptation Ranked Worst To Best
The story of the Phantom of the Opera has been seen in movies, television, and even on the stage, but some are ranked higher than others.
At the time of writing,it’s unknown if Disney+’s YA version ofThe Phantom of the Operawill also be a musical(though, if it isn’t, it would be weird given Kenny Ortega’s past with musical movies for Disney), but there’s also another very famous version of the novel that is the reason why Disney’s take isn’t what I expected (nor wanted) for the character.
I Would Have Expected The Phantom of the Opera To Get A Proper Horror Reboot
Other Classic Horror Characters Have Been Getting Proper Reboots Lately
Back in 1925,The Phantom of the Operagot a movie adaptation directed by Rupert Julian. This version ofThe Phantom of the Operais a silent horror movie, starring Lon Chaney as the title character.The Phantom of the Operais now a classic of the horror genre and the title character is considered among Universal’s Classic Monsters, and a big part of its legacy was Chaney’s make-up. 1925’sThe Phantom of the Operais also considered one of the most faithful adaptations of the novel.
The above-mentioned reboots, remakes, and revivals trends have given new life to some of Universal’s Classic Monsters, most of them to great success.
Although I absolutely love musicals,I would have expectedThe Phantom of the Operato get a proper horror reboot thanks to recent trends in the genre.The above-mentioned reboots, remakes, and revivals trends have given new life to some of Universal’s Classic Monsters, most of them to great success. In 2020, Leigh Whannell brought a new take onThe Invisible Man, Guillermo del Toro is finally working on his adaptation of Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein, Maggie Gyllenhaal is working on a new take onBride of Frankenstein, and Whannell is bringing a new version of Wolf Man in 2025.
Taking all this into account, I would have expectedThe Phantom of the Operato get the same treatment – and I think it could have succeeded with the right team behind it. I don’t know how I feel about a YA adaptation ofThe Phantom of the Opera, but I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt – however,The Phantom of the Operaleans more into horror, which is why I would have preferred that it got a proper horror reboot with a horror director rather than a YA Disney adaptation.
Will Disney+’s The Phantom Of The Opera Movie Keep The Novel’s Gothic Horror Elements?
There Are Key Elements In The Phantom Of The Opera That Should Be Kept
Perhaps my biggest concern about Disney’s YA version ofThe Phantom of the Operais that it could opt for leaving the novel’s gothic horror elements aside.The Phantom of the Operais a tragic story, but it’s also a horror one, with the Phantom having a torture chamber, the walls of the chapel in the graveyard being lined with human bones, the Phantom himself having some strange ghost-like abilities (despite being a human), and other things.
Looking at Kenny Ortega’s past works with Disney, the only horror-like one isHocus Pocus, which, in retrospect, does have its dark elements, but the 2022 sequel was far from that.
The gothic horror elements inThe Phantom of the Operaare a big part of its essence, but Disney might not be totally on board with them. Looking at Kenny Ortega’s past works with Disney, the only horror-like one isHocus Pocus, which, in retrospect, does have its dark elements, but the 2022 sequel was far from that. Disney+’sThe Phantom of the Operamight end up lacking the gothic horror elements of the novel, but it could still surprise the audience by keeping the character and story’s darkness.
