EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is in early development phantoma reinterpretation of a classic novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, sources tell Deadline. The project comes from Disney Branded Entertainment and Kenny Ortega, who has directed two major Disney franchises with High School Musical And The descendants.
phantom is currently still very green, but has the potential to become a franchise that is similar to The descendants when things move forward.
This is Ortega’s return to Disney after completing his deal with Netflix. He will direct and executive produce phantom under his production banner The KO Company. The screenplay was written by Giovanni M. Porta (At midnight) from a story by Porta and Eric Bromberg.
Set in the 1880s, the 1909 novel tells the story of Erik, a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera. He is obsessed with the young soprano Christine and manipulates events to make her the star of the opera.
The story has been adapted countless times for theater, film and television – most famously by Andrew Lloyd Webber for Broadway. This musical ran for a record-breaking 35 years, from 1988 to 2023.
Exile Content (part of Candle Media), which brought the package to Disney Branded Television, will also serve as executive producer phantom.
Ortega is primarily known as a choreographer, director and producer behind projects such as Dirty Dancing, Hocus Pocus, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in pink And Michael Jackson’s That’s itYounger generations know him for his work on the first three progeny Movies for Disney+, Julie and the Phantoms for Netflix and Disney Channel High School Musical Films. He is represented by Paradigm.
Porta is a screenwriter and producer. Deadline reported in May that Porta’s original film script Queen B was founded at Netflix and is produced by Fuller Media, with whom he is currently developing additional projects. phantom is his second script sale this year. His first produced project as a writer and executive producer is Paramount+’s original romantic comedyAt midnight, with Diego Boneta.
He is represented by Range Media Partners, United Talent Agency and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman
