Emperor’s New Groove may not be the most popular Disney animated movie, but it definitely has a special place in the hearts of every millennial who managed to watch it.
With Disney starting to adapt films from their experimental era like Lilo & Stitch, Lion King star Seth Rogen has a pitch for a Disney adaptation that he would like to work on—The Emperor’s New Groove. Check out this clip from DiscussingFilm:
Seth Rogen tells us he wants to see a live-action ‘EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE’ movie.
“I wanna be in it!” pic.twitter.com/kX8UkExemx
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 16, 2024
Rogen didn’t say anything about the movie besides, “I wanna be in it!” but at least it’s confirmation that he actually likes the movie—a testament to its quality despite it being considered a disappointment at the box office compared to other Disney animated films.
There is actually a whole big behind-the-scenes story about how The Emperor’s New Groove got made, and it apparently was going through development hell before they got to the comedy film that was eventually released. Originally the movie was supposed to be called Empire of the Sun, and it was supposed to be a dramatic retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. It was all documented in the 2002 film The Sweatbox.
Since the movie is considered a comedy, it’s very possible that’s the same direction that a remake could go, but we don’t know what Disney has up their sleeves. Even Snow White somehow became a freedom fighter story, and even other films like Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan got major story overhauls.
In the meantime, catch Rogen as Pumbaa in Mufasa: The Lion King which comes to cinemas on Dec. 20.
