Disney is set to go on an adventure with their own Don Quixote movie

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

When you think of all the classic novels and characters that have been given modern updates, which come to your mind? Some that come to my mind are Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Frankenstein, Tarzan and, who could forget, Garfield. But if I said Don Quixote you would be hard pressed to think of a memorable, recent adaptation of the novel and it's classic characters. Well, Disney is here to set that right.

THR reports that the classic novel is getting a new adaptation courtesy of the House of Mouse, and with a script from CAPTAIN PHILLIPS and THE HUNGER GAMES scribe Billy Ray who will also be producing along with Gordon Gray (Disney’s INVINCIBLE, MCFARLAND USA, MILLION DOLLAR ARM). A source also says the studio plans to make the film with the same sense of spirited, whimsical adventure and comedic nature as another one of their established franchises—PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Quixote will probably take the place of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as the amiable, theatrical, often dopey hero. Now stop that eye rolling!

Thank you. Now that may sound eye-roll worthy, but the story of Quixote is actually befitting of such a style. Published in 1605 by Miguel de Cervantes, the story is about an old man named Alonso Quixano, who after reading tons chivalric romance and adventure stories loses his sanity and goes off on an adventure of his own to right wrongs under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. In his delusions he fights a windmill he thinks is a dragon, and challenges a group of friars he believes are enchanters (or wizards), among many other hopeless endeavors. So, yeah, there’s more material here to make a madcap adventure movie than there was in any amusement park ride.

I can already imagine people thinking to themselves this is just another example of corporate entities running out of ideas, taking simple stories and bloating them with inflated budgets and CGI—and in a lot of ways I agree with those people.  Much like other Disney adaptations of classic material that lost them money (LONE RANGER, JOHN CARTER) I can’t see this movie being a hit, and if it is, it will probably get the franchise treatment with as many sequels as people don't want. But, at the end of the day, if they can make a  good, fun movie that respects the source material then I don’t see the harm. Quixote, which is considered to be the birth of modern Western literature, has yet to get a really memorable film adaptation. Plus if the movie inspires just one person to pick up the book I consider that an immeasurable success worthy of a $150 million+ budget.

There's no release date attached, but imagine a 2018-2019 release.