Disney Suspends Fox Film “Mouse Guard” Two Weeks Before Start of Production

With two weeks until the start of production on the Fox film, Mouse Guard, Disney has decided to suspend the project.

What’s happening:

  • According to Deadline, Disney has put the brakes on a new motion capture film in the works at Fox just two weeks prior to the start of production.
  • Mouse Guard, an adaptation of the comic series by David Petersen, was to be directed by Wes Ball.
  • The film was set to star:
    • Idris Elba
    • Andy Serkis
    • Thomas Brodie-Sangster
    • Sonoya Mizuno
  • Mizuno was to be the lead in the film set in medieval times. The story focuses on, “a brotherhood of mice sworn to protect the fellow rodents in their midst.”
  • Michael Fleming Jr. of Deadline wrote on Wednesday, “this is happening in real time, and I heard Disney brass looked at it carefully and the feeling was it wasn’t a good fit. It’s Game of Thrones with mice.”
  • Mouse Guard was to be produced by Matt Reeves through his company 6th & Idaho along with Richie and Stephen Christy from Boom! Studios.
  • Following this decision, the filmmakers are looking to take it elsewhere, possibly even Netflix.
  • Deadline points out that this isn’t Disney snubbing Fox-developed films, rather a shift toward more young adult and adult fare.
  • Fox films still set for production include:
    • Avatar films
    • Kingsman
    • Fear Street trilogy
    • Free Guy
    • West Side Story
    • Death on the Nile