Disney Hires a Screenwriter For Ice Cube's Remake of The Musical OLIVER!

Disney is moving forward with the development of a remake of the classic musical Oliver! which as you know, is based on Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. The project was announced last year and it has also got a solid team of talent on board to bring it to life.

According to Deadline, the script for the film will be written by Danny Strong (The Hunger Games, The Butler). The director of Broadway's Hamilton, Thomas Kail, is set to helm the movie. Then there's the music, which will be handled by Marc Platt, who worked on La La Land. Oh, and I should probably mention that Ice Cube is producing and he's taking on the of the villainous Fagin.

I know you all know the story, but just in case you've been living under a rock since you've been born, the story follows the journey of an orphan boy who escapes the harsh conditions of a workhouse and ends up joining up with a group of young thieves led by Fagin. This time, the music will include a cross-genre soundtrack that will include hip-hop. I guess that should be a surprise with Ice Cube on board. 

I actually really like the original 1968 film, which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. It'll be interesting to see how this updated remake of the film turns out, especially with the hip-hop flair.