Since completing his work on ‘Iron Man 2’, director Jon Favreau has been developing a film called ‘Magic Kingdom.’ Described as ‘Night At The Museum’ at Disneyland, the film would see the various attractions around the Happiest Place On Earth come to life and interact with one lucky family and each other. But in the six years since that project was born, the filmmaker ended up getting preoccupied with ‘Cowboys & Aliens’, ‘Chef’, and the upcoming live-action reimagining of ‘The Jungle Book’. However, it appears that Walt Disney Pictures may be more inclined to finally let Favreau tackle this passion project if his version of Mowgli’s story does well with the masses.
While speaking to Collider about his latest star-studded project, Favreau revealed that ‘Magic Kingdom’ is still in play at the House of Mouse. And if his new version of the animated classic is as delightful as the early reviews says it is, then he hopes that the studio will allow him to more forward with his long-gestating tale:
“Well, hopefully now with this collaboration, if it works out well, we can explore what ‘Magic Kingdom’ could be. ‘Magic Kingdom’ is a story I’ve been developing. [‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘John Carter’ writer] Michael Chabon wrote the draft about Disneyland coming to life, and all of the different lands and attractions all overlapping one another and creating a big adventure that a family gets caught up in. It’s something I feel very passionate about. Part of the reason I explored this technology I used on ‘Jungle Book’ is because I was considering it for that film, and maybe it might be something we work together on.”
Presumably, Favreau is referring to the motion capture and the photorealistic technology utilized in ‘The Jungle Book’. Not only would these methods amazingly bring attractions such as The Jungle Cruise or the Enchanted Tiki Room to life, but imagine what it could do with The Haunted Mansion, It’s A Small World, or Splash Mountain. Additionally, they could probably be used to cameos for a number of beloved characters such as Indiana Jones, Mr. Toad, Roger Rabbit, and more. Or better yet, what if Walt Disney himself popped up? It is pretty crazy what you can do with computer animation these days. But personally, I’m hoping for C-3PO from Star Tours or Iron Man from the Superhero HQ to make appearances. After all, Favreau is tight with Tony Stark. Not only did he direct two movies for the Armored Avenger, but he also portrays Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Do you think that ‘The Jungle Book’ will convince Disney to allow Jon Favreau to finally make ‘Magic Kingdom’? Which rides or attractions are you most looking forward to seeing come alive on the big screen if the movie does get made? Let us know in the comments below.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences and puns far too much. He is also an avid Disneyland fanatic that tries to visit as often as possible despite living on the East Coast.For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
