Disney Axes Live-Action Robin Hood Remake
Carlos López Estrada, once slated to helm the project, broke the news himself — and suddenly all eyes are on what happens next.
One of Disney's long-gestating live-action remakes just ran out of arrows. The planned update of the studio's 1973 'Robin Hood' is no longer happening, according to the filmmaker who was supposed to direct it.
The remake that isn’t
Back in 2020, Disney put a new spin on its foxy take of Sherwood Forest into development: Kari Granlund (who scripted the studio's 'Lady and the Tramp' redo) was hired to write, and Carlos López Estrada — whose credits include 2018's 'Blindspotting' — signed on to direct. Six years later, Estrada says the project has been shut down.
'It’s dead, sadly.'
He did not get into the nitty-gritty, including the big creative swing everyone wondered about: would it keep the 1973 film’s talking-animal angle, or go for something more grounded? What he did share is a heartbreaker for anyone who wanted to see Disney take a risk:
'I say sadly because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there. Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it.'
Disney’s remake machine is changing gears
After the shockwave success of 'Alice in Wonderland' in 2010 (over $1 billion worldwide), Disney spent the next decade turning its animated crown jewels into live-action hits: 'Maleficent,' 'Cinderella,' 'The Jungle Book,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Aladdin,' and 'The Lion King' all kept the money printer humming. More recently, the studio has gotten choosier. Following the box-office disappointment of 'Snow White' and the $1 billion worldwide surge of 'Lilo & Stitch,' the priorities look different — with a clear lean toward remaking more modern titles.
A live-action 'Moana' is headed to theaters a neat ten years after the original, and casting on a 'Tangled' remake has been moving along. Meanwhile, a bunch of pre-1990 remakes that were greenlit during the pandemic for Disney+ have been walked back, reportedly out of concern they won’t draw the crowds needed on the big screen.
- In 2024, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo said his 'The Sword in the Stone' remake was put on hold.
- Around the same time, Sarah Polley exited the live-action 'Bambi.'
- In 2025, Questlove revealed Disney canceled his take on 'The Aristocats.'
- And now, 'Robin Hood' joins the scrap heap.
What happens to Sherwood now?
Estrada is not quite done dreaming. He teased the idea of salvaging the concept on his own — which is feasible, since Robin Hood himself is public domain.
'I keep daydreaming about doing it independently with different characters.'
If he does, he’ll be entering a very crowded forest. Hugh Jackman is suiting up for a darker riff titled 'The Death of Robin Hood,' and MGM+ just renewed its own 'Robin Hood' series for a second season. If Estrada takes another shot, he’ll need an angle that doesn’t just split the arrow — it has to be its own target. Shame about that 'extraordinary music' we won’t get to hear, at least for now.