Director Paul King has seen a string of successes helming the Paddington films and 2023’s Willy Wonka origin story Wonka, which turned into a sleeper hit for Warner Bros. Now, King is partnering up with the Mouse House to bring another classic character to life, as Deadline has reported that King is onboard to direct a new version of Prince Charming for Disney. While details on the film remain slim, this kind of project seems to be right up the director’s alley.
No plot details have been released for Prince Charming; it is not clear whether the film will be live-action or animated, though given Disney‘s recent propensity for live-action – and the fact that the studio is releasing a live-action Snow White film next year – this seems to be the likely route. It’s also unclear what type of Prince Charming story this will be, as the traditional folk hero has appeared in several classic Disney films throughout the years; this includes the aforementioned Snow White, but Prince Charming has also played major roles in Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The character typically falls in love with the subject of the film, though this too remains up in the air.
While details are thin, it is known that the Prince Charming film’s screenplay will be co-written by Simon Barnaby and Jon Croker alongside King. Barnaby and King are hardly strangers, as the pair have collaborated on all the latter’s biggest projects. Barnaby co-wrote the screenplay for Wonka and the second film in the Paddington series, and also received story credits for the upcoming third film, Paddington in Peru.
‘Prince Charming’ Seems Right up King’s Alley
Directing a film like Prince Charming seems to be a perfect match for King, who has made a name for himself helming large-scale, fantastical films. The director first rose to prominence directing Paddington in 2014. Based on the British children’s character of the same name, the film depicted the adventures of the marmalade-loving, hat-wearing bear. The project was widely acclaimed and spawned a sequel, Paddington 2, in 2014. For the third film, Paddington in Peru, King is giving up the director’s chair, though he is staying on as an executive producer. A fourth film is also reportedly in development.
King truly shot to stardom, though, for directing the aforementioned origin story Wonka. The Warner Bros. film, which told the beginnings of the iconic candy man and singing chocolatier, starred Timothée Chalamet in the title role. Despite middle-range expectations for the film, Wonka became one of the biggest hits of 2023, earning $634 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $125 million. Wonka ended its theatrical run as the eighth highest-grossing film of the year, and King‘s direction as well as Chalamet‘s performance was widely praised.
No release window for Prince Charming has been announced.
via Collider