Questlove to Direct Live-Action ‘Aristocats’ for Disney

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is getting behind the camera for his narrative feature debut for Disney.

The Oscar and Grammy winner will direct a live-action adaption of the jazz-focused 1970 animated feature The Aristocats for the studio.

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The story follows a cat and her three kittens, who inherit the fortune of their heiress owner, only to have a jealous butler dump the cats out in the countryside. The cats have to find their way back home to Paris with the help of a musically inclined alley cat. The original voice cast included Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with music by Robert and Richard Sherman, whose legendary work for the studio also included Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Thompson will also oversee the music for the film, which will have a script by Will Gluck and Keith Bunin. Gluck and his production company, Olive Bridge, are producing along with Thompson’s Two One Five Entertainment. Thompson will executive produce with Tarik Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman.

Thompson, repped by WME, earned an Oscar for his work on the doc feature Summer of Soul, which was distributed by Hulu. He is the drummer and frontman for hip-hop group The Roots, which serves as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Disney has found tremendous success with its live-action remakes, with The Little Mermaid and Snow White among those coming up.

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