Questlove has been tapped to direct a live-action hybrid adaptation of the Disney animated classic, The Aristocats, which was originally released in 1970.
Those close to the situation tell Deadline that The Roots musician will make his feature film directorial debut with a reimagined version of the film for Walt Disney Studios. The project will be a live-action/hybrid adaptation of the original film.
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Questlove (real name Ahmir Khalib Thompson) will be serving as executive producer on the movie, alongside co-producers Tarik Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman. The script will be penned by Will Gluck and Keith Bunin.
This film is based on the 1970 animated original about a family of Parisian felines who learn they will inherit a fortune from their owner. When the owner’s jealous butler kidnaps them and leaves them in the country, they must team up with a smooth-talking tomcat to try to return home before it’s too late.
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In 2021, the six-time Grammy-Award winner stepped into the director’s seat with his documentary, Summer of Soul, which centers around 1969’s oft-forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week musical celebration featuring performances from Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone and Gladys Knight & the Pips, among other ’60s icons.
The documentary received critical acclaim across the board, especially for its restoration quality. The movie premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival in January 2021 before hitting theaters in June.
Quest would eventually take home an award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Oscars, followed by Best Music Film at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards a week later.
In other Questlove news, the multi-hyphenate was awarded yet another accolade for his long-running Questlove Supreme podcast which took home the trophy for Best Music Podcast at the 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards earlier this month.
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Remaining a virtual event, the show was streamed on iHeartRadio’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page while simultaneously broadcasting on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide as well as the iHeartRadio app.
