High School Musical director and Disney Legend Kenny Ortega is working on a new young adult version of The Phantom of the Opera. Based on the Gaston Leroux novel, this story of an opera singer in Paris and her mysterious tutor has been developed into multiple movies through the years. It also was made into a Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Deadline is reporting that Ortega will be directing and executive producing the project. Disney hopes that, like some of his other projects, this could lead to a franchise. The movie has a script from Giovanni M. Porta. If reports are true, it is not based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic Broadway musical.
Phantom, as this film is apparently being called, is still very early in production. It isn’t known if there will be original music and if Ortega will also be a choreographer.
Kenny Ortega has an extensive history with Disney. He was a producer and director for both the High School Musical and Descendants franchises. He also has been a choreographer, director, and producer on numerous movies including Dirty Dancing, Hocus Pocus, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink and Michael Jackson’s This Is it. He was recently inducted as a Disney Legend at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
What do you think of Phantom? Do you hope it makes it to Disney+? Who would you like to see in it? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
