Catch Me If You Can, Pirates 5 writer tapped for The Lion King remake

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Remember that LION KING reimagining we reported on not too long ago? Yeah, that shit is getting fast tracked quick because it has already found it’s screenwriter in Jeff Nathanson, according to Deadline. The writer behind THE TERMINAL, TOWER HEIST, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and the upcoming PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES will pen the script for the retelling of the animated behemoth, which has Jon Favreau attached to direct.

The movie will of course join Disney’s current parade of modern updates of their animated classics, like CINDERELLA, JUNGLE BOOK, March’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and the recently announced MULAN adaptation. Depending on who you are this is getting either really out of hand or really awesome. Though I'm excited to see what is done with LION KING, I believe this habit of remaking animated classics is gonna get old quick.

Regardless, I have faith in Nathanson as a writer. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a movie I’ll be watching till the day I die, and I am one of the few people who enjoys THE TERMINAL. His scripts have this seemingly effortless glide about them that makes the movies so easily immersive and entertaining. Not to mention he’s great at writing comedy, meaning at the very least this version will retain much of the original’s humor. How he fares on the heavy emotional aspects of the story is up in the air, but I’d say between Nathanson and Favreau the LION KING ship is in steady hands. They better not f@cking sink it.

You can catch Nathanson’s upcoming effort, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES on May 26, 2017.