Disney working on new Jungle Book musical, Beauty and the Beast, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and more

Thomas Schumacher, the president of Disney Theatrical Productions, has spoken to the New York Times about a series of upcoming projects that the company is working on.

The news comes as Disney ends the Broadway production of Frozen, which was locked down following the coronavirus outbreak. Schumacher stated that this was due to the fact that "three Disney productions will be one too many titles to run successfully in Broadway's new landscape".

But Schumacher has also revealed plans for productions over the coming years. A brand new stage version of The Jungle Book, directed by Christopher Gattelli with a book by Rajiv Joseph and original songs by Richard Sherman, is in the pipeline.

Based on the Sherman film of the same name which in turn was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's book, a release date for The Jungle Book is to be announced.

A revised production of Beauty and the Beast is also planned to open next year (location tbc), with the same creative team as the original run. Robert Horn, Alan Menken and David Zippel will continue to work on their stage version of Hercules, after the piece debuted at the Delacorte Theater last summer.

As previously announced, a new version of The Princess Bride penned by Bob Martin and Rick Elice with songs by David Yazbek is being made, as well as a stage version of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, directed by Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison, with a book by Brian Hill and songs by Neil Bartram.

Frozen is still on track to open at the end of October in the West End, though the Lyceum Theatre, the London home of The Lion King, was hit by major flooding earlier this week.