Women Talking’s Sarah Polley Reportedly In Talks to Direct Live-Action Bambi

Sarah Polley, who won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Walking, is reportedly in talks to helm Disney’s live-action remake of the 1942 animated classic Bambi.

As reported by Deadline, details on this early-in-development project are scarce, but sources say that a few more people have gotten involved with this new take on Bambi. This includes Kacey Musgraves, who will contribute music to the film as it is slated to be a musical. Furthermore, the most recent draft of the script has been written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.

The news of Polley’s involvement with the Bambi remake comes over two weeks after the release of The Little Mermaid, which has grossed over $414 million despite racial backlash over the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel.

The Bambi remake was reported on in 2020 following the success of Disney’s other live action remakes, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Lindsey Beer (Chaos Walking) were tapped to write the screenplay, and the movie was said to use photorealistic CGI much like the latter film, although no one has been cast to voice the titular deer and his woodland friends yet. Production company Depth of Field, run by Chris and Paul Weitz, is also attached to the project.

For the uninitiated, Bambi is a coming-of-age tale based on the 1923 novel by Felix Salten in which the young fawn experiences the joys and hardships of growing up in the forest. To this day, it’s famous for its depiction of of a certain character’s death, which has traumatized viewers for generations. How the live-action remake will handle that scene is left to be seen.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.