Disney is continuing to explore its classic characters with new live-action takes on its animated films, as this has been a lucrative business for the studio for some time. We recently learned that Paul King (“Paddington”) is now set to direct a “Prince Charming” movie for the Mouse House which, on the surface, seems like a purely money-driven idea. Today, however, we also learned that none other than Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, is in talks to star in the lead role, which changes the game.
According to Deadline, Hemsworth is being eyed to place the titular character in the “Prince Charming” movie. Hemsworth is coming off of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and the animated “Transformers One.” He is, however, best known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thor, having most recently appeared in the relatively disappointing “Thor: Love and Thunder” in 2022 (his “cameo” in “Deadpool & Wolverine” aside). Simon Farnaby and Jon Croker are writing the screenplay alongside King, although it’s unclear how far along the project is as it’s merely said to be “in development.”
Disney had made billions and billions at the box office with live-action remakes over the years, with films like “Alice in Wonderland,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Jungle Book” all grossing over $1 billion. There’ve been other hits in the mix too, such as 2015’s “Cinderella.” It’s worth noting, though, that as much as the Prince Charming character tends to be connected to Cinderella, it’s said that King’s film will not be linked to the famous Disney Princess. Rather, it sounds like this is truly going to hone in on the prince as the protagonist, which is something we haven’t really seen before.
Paul King makes a Prince Charming movie worth it
Interestingly, this “Prince Charming” movie dates back nearly a decade, as a version of it was first announced in 2015. That initial iteration was penned by Matt Fogel (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”) but ultimately stalled out, and the idea has been kicking around the halls of Disney ever since. Now, it seems to be picking up steam with this new creative team. It’s not hard to see why.
What makes this seem like more than just a cash grab is the combination of King and Hemsworth married to the material. King directed both “Paddington” and “Paddington 2,” which are some of the most crowd-pleasing family films to come around in the last 20 years, if not ever. More importantly, King turned down “Paddington 3” to make last year’s “Wonka” instead. That film similarly seemed like a cash grab before proving to be a truly charming prequel that more than justified its existence. It was also, not for nothing, a huge hit, demonstrating that King can take material that seems simple on the surface and turn it into something special.
As for Hemsworth, while he’s often associated with big action movies such as the “Extraction” films on Netflix, as well as his work in the MCU, he is unquestionably easy to picture as Prince Charming. He’s classically handsome, in great shape, and endlessly charming. The few times he’s been allowed to flex his comedic chops, such as in the 2016 “Ghostbusters” or “Thor: Ragnarok,” he’s shined. Hemsworth also has more range than he gets credit for, with underseen gems like “Bad Times at the El Royale” and this year’s “Furiosa” illustrating as much.
The “Prince Charming” movie does not currently have a release date, but stay tuned.
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