Sarah Polley to Direct Live-Action 'Bambi' for Disney (original) (raw)

Bambi and Flower in Bambi

Image via Disney

Published Jun 13, 2023, 3:29 PM EDT

Diego Peralta is a News Writer and a Features Writer for Collider. He has also written for several other outlets, including BuzzFeed News, Geeks of Color and Film Inquiry. When he's not watching The Last Jedi again, he's looking for the best burger in town and the next movie that will become a fixation for him. He continuously writes about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the many projects it has in development, after spending months writing about the Roman Roy series that is occasionally referred to as Succession. Peralta also appeared as an extra in the Latin American Netflix series, Luis Miguel.

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Disney has found a filmmaker to helm their latest live-action adaptation project, as the studio has officially hired Sarah Polley to take on the newest version of Bambi. According to Deadline, the Academy Award winner will sit behind the camera for the classic story of a young deer who loses his mother, leaving him vulnerable to the threats of the outside world. The 1942 animated hit was one of the titles that helped cement the studio as the animation powerhouse it's still recognized as to this day, getting to the audience's heart with its emotional story about love and forgiveness.

While it's been a few years since the project was officially announced, there hasn't been much movement around it ever since. The movie is in very early stages of development, and it is currently unknown if Disney plans to release it in theatres or on Disney+. It could go either way, taking as example the fact that the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King will roar on the big screen next summer, while this year's Peter & Wendy found plenty of success after being launched on the streaming platform. As the film's development moves forward, more details about will be revealed, including the distribution method the studio will choose for it.

Polley's career arrived at a new place after the release of her last film, Women Talking. Starring Rooney Mara and Claire Foy, the drama follows a group of women who are suffering from constant abuse. Using any resource they could get their hands on, the characters come together in order to stop the men hurting them, breaking the cycle that had kept them prisoners for so long. Through gripping scenes and a very relevant theme, Women Talking demonstrated Polley's high skills as a filmmaker, making her a favorable choice to take on the new version of Bambi.

Bambi looking on in surprise and horror.

Image via Disney

Disney's Live-Action Remakes Are Expanding

The new adaptation of Bambi is just one of many projects Disney is working on when it comes to bringing their animated classics to live-action. Just today, it was announced that the live-action adaptation of Moana will be coming to theatres on June 27, 2025. The news were delivered at the same time The Little Mermaid continues to impress at the domestic box office, proving that audiences care about these films as long as a certain level of quality is present within the projects. Time will tell if Bambi will make a statement at the box office, ot if it won't be remembered as much as other Disney movies.