Another Disney remake won’t be making its way to theaters anytime soon. The Aristocats was next in line for a live-action film, but it has been quietly shelved amid leadership changes at the studio.
The Roots drummer and frontman Ahmir Khalib Thompson, 54, better known as Questlove was attached to the project as a director and developing the music-driven update to the 1970 Disney classic. “Usually when a new administration comes in, we got a little reshuffle,” the artist said on Score: The Podcast.
“This is the third time in which a new administration came in. And then I was like, okay, well, this is what I plan to do… here’s some of the music examples and this is the team I’m working with.”
But by the third “administration shuffle,” Questlove thought, “Maybe this isn’t meant for me.”
It’s not unusual for big-budget projects to hit pause when new leadership takes the reins at a studio. Disney has had its share of reshuffling in recent years. Right now, Bob Iger is at the helm, but it’s unclear for how long and who will follow in his footsteps.
For Questlove, who won an Academy Award for his 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, the move signals a pivot away from feline-focused family fare. In the meantime, he says “there’s literally four other films…I’ll be working till, you know, 2029, 2030.”
He says The Aristocats still might happen, but only time will tell.
How many live-action films has Disney done?
According to IMDb, Disney has produced 313 live-action titles between 1950 and 2025, including remakes of animated classics like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.
Is Questlove in any movies?
Questlove’s directorial work includes the 2021 documentary Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). He’s not known as an actor, but voiced Curley Baker in Disney/Pixar’s 2020 release Soul.
He also appeared as himself and executive-produced Rise Up, Sing Out, and served as the music producer for High Fidelity and voiced himself in Lucas Bros. Moving Co.
