Over the last few years there have been multiple attempts to bring a live-action version of The Nutcracker to the big screen, with every studio failing to crack the idea. The one who got along furthest recently was Adam Shankman (Hairspray), but his project never really got going. Now Disney is giving it a shot, and they've lined up Swedish helmer Lasse Hallstrom to direct it.
Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules, Safe Haven) will direct The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a live-action film combining elements of Tchaikovsky's famous play and author E.T.A. Hoffmann's original short story, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". The most recent version of the script was penned by Ashleigh Powell.
From the title alone it's clear this won't be your typical version of the familiar story about a bold nutcracker who protects a young girl from an army of villainous mice. It sounds like Disney may have bigger, possibly even franchise plans for this one, which wouldn't be surprising given their track record with live-action adaptations. [THR]
