Alan Arkin has joined the cast of Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Dumbo” directed by Tim Burton.
The film’s cast already includes Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito. Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins will also appear in their first film roles.
Ehren Kruger penned the script. Justin Springer, who worked on “Tron: Legacy,” is producing with Kruger. Derek Frey and Katterli Frauenfelder are also producing. Nigel Gostelow will serve as an executive producer.
The original story followed an ostracized baby circus elephant who strives to achieve his full potential. In this version, the film follows Holt Farrier (Farrell), a former circus star who finds his life turned upside down when he returns from the war. Circus owner Max Medici (DeVito) enlists Holt to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when Holt’s children (Parker and Hobbins) discover that Dumbo can fly, persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Keaton) and an aerial artist named Colette Marchant (Green) swoop in to make the peculiar pachyderm a star. Arkin will play J Griffin Remington, a Wall Street tycoon.
The studio’s emphasis on live-action reboots follows the hits “Maleficent,” “Cinderella,” “The Jungle Book,” and most recently, “Beauty and the Beast.” The Mouse House has remakes of “The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Mulan,” and other animated classics in the works as well.
An Oscar-winning actor, Arkin was most recently seen in New Line’s “Going in Style.” He is repped by Lasher Group and ICM.
The film is currently in production in London and is set to bow on March 29, 2019.
