Questlove has been named as the director of the upcoming remake of Disney’s The Aristocats. The producer and The Roots drummer will also oversee the film’s music and serve as executive director. According to Deadline, the film will be a live-action/hybrid project.
If you can’t recall, The Aristocats follows a group of plucky Parisian cats who are kidnapped by their owner’s butler and abandoned in the countryside. They have to make their way back into the city in order to inherit a fortune from their owner. It’s a beloved Disney staple, although in recent years it has been in the spotlight for its shockingly racist caricature of East Asian people – Disney has since put an advisory on streaming site Disney+ regarding the imagery.
The Aristocats: ‘Scales And Arpeggios’
In 2022 Questlove picked up the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for his film Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The film, which explores the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, also earned him a Grammy for Best Music Film.
“This is such a stunning moment for me right now, but it’s not about me,” Questlove said in his Oscars acceptance speech. “It’s about marginalised people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain. Just know that in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalised people in Harlem.”
More recently, Questlove was named as a producer on an upcoming documentary about the legendary producer and rapper J.Dilla.
Further Reading
Questlove And ‘Summer Of Soul’ Producers To Release J Dilla Documentary
Questlove, Laura Jane Grace and Others Defend Meg White’s Drumming Amid Social Media Debate
Harlem Festival Of Culture Announced, Inspired By Questlove’s ‘Summer Of Soul’
