Ice Cube and Tommy Kail, director of “Hamilton,” will team up with Disney for a modern take on Charles Dickens’ classic “Oliver Twist,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Marc Platt and Jeff Kwatinetz are producing the still untitled project, while Cube will also produce via his CubeVision banner. The rapper and Kwatinetz are writing with Cube attached to play an unknown part in the project.
“Oliver Twist,” one of Dickens’ most famous works, is about an orphan who gets taken under Fagin’s wing, the leader of a London pickpocket gang.
Disney had previously adapted the story into an animated film in 1988 titled “Oliver and Company.” The tale has been brought to life on the musical stage in “Oliver!” which premiered in the West End in 1969 and has gone through countless revivals.
Disney is also in production on a live-action adaptation of “The Nutcracker,” which Lasse Hallström is directing from Ashleigh Powell’s script. That film will star Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Misty Copeland and Morgan Freeman.
Cube will next star in “Fist Fight,” which will open in February 2017. TheWrap recently exclusively reported that “Ride Along 3” is officially in the works at Universal.
Kail also directed “Grease Live!,” Fox Television’s live take on the classic movie “Grease,” which originally starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.
Cube is represented by UTA while Kail is represented by WME.