Disney's Live-Action Bambi Remake Loses Its Oscar-Winning Director

At least one live-action Disney remake just took a major step backward. Last year, we learned that the Oscar-winning Sarah Polley ("Women Talking") was set to direct a new live-action reimagining of the 1940s classic "Bambi." Now, it's been revealed that Polley has left the project. There is currently no word on who will replace her and, not to get too ahead of ourselves here, but the answer may be nobody.

According to a report from The Wrap, Polley has quietly left the remake. It's unclear when the filmmaker departed or why she split from Disney on this one. The report also notes that it's equally unclear if the movie will still move forward. Part of that has to do with the recent departure of Sean Bailey, the former president of Walt Disney Motion Picture Production. Bailey was largely responsible for the deluge of live-action remakes of animated classics that we've been getting for the last decade or so. Now that he's left the studio, things may or may not be changing on that front.

Disney CEO Bob Iger also recently spoke at the Morgan Stanley investor conference and mentioned that the studio has "killed a few projects already that we just didn't feel were strong enough." He didn't mention anything by name, although it's possible "Bambi" was one of those projects. After all, some of Disney's recent live-action remakes (like "Pinocchio") didn't go over particularly well.

For now, little else is known about this particular remake. Screenwriters Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Captain Marvel") and Lindsey Anderson Beer ("Pet Sematary: Bloodlines") were attached at one point. Whether that's still (or was ever) the case remains to be seen. No cast members had been attached either, and it is wholly unclear when Disney intended to get production up and running on this one.

One can't help but wonder if the recent trend of horror movies based on public domain properties had anything to do with this movie possibly being scrapped. The violent "Bambi: The Revenge" is currently in the works, following in the footsteps of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." It's not difficult to imagine Disney wanting to avoid wading into those same waters right now. It's, at the very least, something that can't be ignored.

As for Polley, she's yet to set her next project after winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Women Talking" last year. Given that she was also nominated for an Oscar for her work on 2008's "Away From Her" as well, we're talking about a very talented, very respected filmmaker here. All of this to say, while it was challenging for Polley to get a movie made for a full decade following "Take This Waltz," it's hard to imagine her going that long without making a movie again, with or without a high-profile Disney remake on her resume.

Meanwhile, on the live-action Disney remake front, the studio still has several coming down the pipeline, including the "Moana" remake, which will bring back The Rock as Maui. The live-action version of "Lilo & Stitch" is also in production.

The live-action "Bambi" remake does not currently have a release date.