Disney has released the poster for Finding Neverland director Marc Forster's Christopher Robin a day ahead of the release of the film's first teaser trailer. On the heels of Disney's successful live-action updates of some of their classic animated features (Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast) and preceding even more of them (Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan) comes Christopher Robin, which is more of a reimagining of A.A. Milne's iconic Winnie the Pooh characters than a strict remake.
Set decades after his adventures as a young boy in the Hundred Acre Wood, Christopher Robin (Ewan MacGregor) has apparently lost or forgotten the magic of his childhood, which he shared with the gang of lovable stuffed animals. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) plays Christopher's wife Evelyn, with the voices of Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh, Chris O'Dowd (The Cloverfield Paradox) as Tigger and former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi as Rabbit.
Related: Mary Poppins Returns Teaser Trailer & Poster
Now, Disney has released the film's poster ahead of the teaser trailer, which is set to show up tomorrow. Take a look at the poster below:
Given the runaway success of Disney's live-action remakes, there's little reason to doubt Christopher Robin's box office prospects, but the intriguing approach to this franchise and the presence of Marc Forster in the director's chair are reasons to look forward to Christopher Robin. The storyline is more reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's grown-up-Peter-Pan fable Hook than a straightforward remake of Winnie the Pooh, which was revisited in traditional 2D animation in 2011's well-received release (and which also featured Jim Cummings as Pooh Bear).
Fans of Winnie the Pooh can likely expect a faithful rendering of the playfully wise denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. Forster has a track record of taking on wildly different projects, from the story of Peter Pan creator James Barrie with Finding Neverland - a family-friendly exploration of a beloved kid's story, not at all unlike Christopher Robin - to the artsiest James Bond entry Quantum of Solace, to horror epic World War Z. Given the Disney brand, a family-friendly vibe is a given, but 2013's Saving Mr. Banks explored the making of Mary Poppins in a surprisingly layered and complex way.
The Mouse House is not always averse to relatively darker takes on its beloved material, but the Winnie the Pooh universe is traditionally light-hearted and fun. It will be interesting to see if Forster managed to capture the tone of the Pooh stories while updating the franchise for a new generation.
More: 15 Live Action Updates Disney Won't Make - But Should
Source: Disney
