Disney’s ROBIN HOOD Remake Scrapped, Director Carlos López Estrada Shares Disappointing Update
Disney’s planned remake of its animated classic Robin Hood has officially been shelved. The project, which had been quietly in development for several years as a live-action/CGI hybrid for Disney+, isn’t moving forward.
Director Carlos López Estrada recently confirmed the news during a Reddit AMA, offering a small glimpse into what might have been.
Estrada, known for directing Raya and the Last Dragon and the series Blindspotting, revealed that the project has been scrapped, despite the creative team feeling excited about the direction they were taking it.
“Its dead sadly,” Estrada wrote. “I say sadly because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there. Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it.”
The remake of Robin Hood was first announced in April 2020, with Disney developing the project for Disney+. Estrada had signed on to direct from a screenplay written by Kari Granlund, who previously worked on Disney’s live-action reboot of Lady and the Tramp for the streaming platform. Justin Springer, whose credits include Dumbo and Tron: Legacy, was attached as producer.
The concept was meant to revisit the story through a live-action and CGI hybrid approach, similar to some of Disney’s other modern reimaginings. However, with the project now officially halted, fans will never see how the creative team planned to reinterpret the classic.
That said, Estrada hasn’t completely let go of the idea. In the same Reddit discussion, he hinted that the spirit of the project might still live on in some form.
“I keep [daydreaming] about doing it independently with different characters.”
Disney’s original Robin Hood premiered in 1973 and offered a playful take on the legendary outlaw’s story. Instead of human characters, the film reimagined the cast as anthropomorphic animals.
Robin Hood was portrayed as a fox, Little John as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the Sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf, and Maid Marian as a vixen. The film followed Robin Hood and his allies as they battled Prince John’s oppressive taxes on the citizens of Nottingham.
The animated movie was a solid success for the studio at the time, pulling in $32 million at the box office against a $5 million budget. Its romantic song “Love” even landed an Oscar nomination.
The cancellation of the Robin Hood remake comes as Disney reevaluates its approach to live-action adaptations of its animated catalog. Over the past decade the studio has had massive hits with films like The Lion King, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Maleficent, and Lilo & Stitch, with the latter becoming the first film of 2025 to cross the $1 billion mark globally.
Still, not every remake has connected with audiences. That uneven performance has led Disney to adjust its strategy and slow down development on certain projects.
For example, the live-action Tangled adaptation was paused following the lukewarm theatrical performance of Snow White, though that project has since been revived with Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim attached to star.
As for what’s next, Disney continues moving ahead with another major adaptation. The live-action Moana is currently in production and will hit theaters on July 10. The film stars Dwayne Johnson returning as the tattooed demigod Maui, alongside newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia as Moana.
While Disney’s take on Robin Hood may have fallen off the slate, it’s clear Estrada still believes there was something cool in the concept.