Disney has been working its way through its entire back-catalogue of beloved animated movies over the past few years, and we found out last summer that Bambi would be the latest classic to get the live-action remake treatment, with Sarah Polley (Women Talking) on board as director.
However, the project has now suffered a major setback, and may end up being shelved or cancelled altogether.
According to several well-placed sources (later confirmed by The Wrap), Polley has parted ways with the movie. No exact reason was provided, but the recent Hollywood strikes are believed to have factored into the filmmaker's decision to step away after production delays resulted in a scheduling conflict.
Another director may be assigned to the project, but insiders believe there's a chance it will not move forward.
A Bambi movie was planned back in 2020 with, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer set to pen the script, but we're not sure if they had stayed on this latest version or new scribes were enlisted to work on a separate take on the story.
The film tells "the coming-of-age story of Bambi, the young deer struck by tragedy who counts amongst his woodland pals the rabbit Thumper and a skunk named Flower."
The '40s original was the fifth animated film to be released by the studio, and famously (or infamously, if you happen to be one of the kids left traumatized) includes the heartbreaking death of Bambi's mother at the hands of a deer hunter. The movie actually received mixed reviews when it was first released, but has gained a much larger fan-base over the years.
What do you make of this news? Are you disappointed that Polley has left the movie, or were you not looking forward to a live-action take on Bambi in the first place? Drop us a comment down below.
"In this Disney classic, a young deer named Bambi joins his new friends, a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower, in exploring his forest home. As a boy, he learns from his doting mother and his father, The Great Prince of the Forest, that there are dangers in the open meadows where hunters can spot the animals, and he meets a beautiful young doe named Faline. As Bambi grows up, he learns that there is tragedy as well as beauty and joy in his forest world and on the path to adulthood."