Disney’s live-action The Aristocats reboot is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, according to its Oscar-winning director. The 1970 animated musical comedy The Aristocats follows a Parisian mistress’ pampered family of cats who, after being kidnapped by a jealous butler hoping to steal their inheritance, must find their way home with the help of a streetwise tomcat and a band of jazzy friends.
The live-action remake of The Aristocats was confirmed in 2023 as Disney introduced a slew of reimaginings of its classic movies, with Questlove set to direct, oversee the music, and executive produce. Beyond its initial announcement, updates for The Aristocats have fallen silent, leaving many to wonder if the Disney remake is still moving forward with development.
Now, in an interview on Score: The Podcast, The Aristocats’ director Questlove has confirmed that the live-action remake movie is not happening. He explained that Disney’s “reshuffling” was partly to blame, as it caused development delays, and he needed to update with each new administration. Questlove said: “By the third time, I was just like, ‘Maybe this isn’t meant for me.'”
The Oscar-winning director didn’t want to wait around for the project, going on to say, “I mean, I would have loved to have done that project, but there’s like 20 others that I can get to,” before announcing he has four films currently in development, and won’t be available until 2029 or 2030. Check out Questlove’s full quote below:
A new administration came in, and then I was like, “Okay, well, this is what I plan to do, and dadada, do the song and dance, and here’s some of the music examples and there’s some team I’m working with dadada.”
And then they had another administration shuffle, and it was like, “Okay well. All right.” And by the third time I was just like, “Maybe this isn’t meant for me, because there’s also, at least, like right now, there’s so much options I have in pickings.”
I mean, I would have loved to have done that project, but there’s like 20 others that I can get to […] there’s literally four other films. I’ll be working till, you know, 2029, 2030. So, just wasn’t meant to happen. Maybe it’ll happen in the future.
What This Means For The Aristocats
The cancellation of The Aristocats reboot is part of a larger shift happening behind the scenes at Disney. The studio has undergone major restructuring under CEO Bob Iger, with a new focus prioritizing creative quality over quanтιтy, in response to criticism of the company’s over-reliance on IP with sequels, spinoffs, and remakes, as well as Disney’s mounting box office disappointments.
Questlove’s The Aristocats is just one of the casualties of Disney’s recalibration, with other Disney live-action remakes facing delays or being quietly removed from the studio’s release calendar. Furthermore, despite Questlove’s star power and unique vision for the project, The Aristocats may have faced too many challenges in developing a live-action/CGI hybrid film, leading to lower prioritization from Disney.
Our Take On The Aristocats’ Cancellation
Despite not being one of its most iconic properties, The Aristocats is a significant part of Disney history, beloved for its music, charm, and personality. Under Questlove’s guidance, it seemed primed for a heartfelt and musically rich tribute. However, in trying to adapt The Aristocats’ drawn 2D style, we fear that the reboot risked becoming another CGI-heavy Disney retread.
While it’s disappointing to see something like this canceled, Disney’s recalibration may ultimately benefit audiences. We’d rather see fewer, more original and thoughtfully developed projects than endless nostalgia-fueled remakes, especially when The Aristocats has a great legacy as it is. That being said, we hope Disney collaborates with Questlove in the future, as the director clearly has taste.
