The Russo Brothers are now developing a modern A Christmas Carol movie. Charles Dickens’ classic holiday novella, A Christmas Carol, was originally published in 1843, and it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a lonely old miser, who transforms into a kind and compassionate man after meeting the ghosts of past, present, and future. It’s been the source of countless adaptations over the years, whether it’s the beloved The Muppets Christmas Carol from 1992 or Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol. Also, there is a new musical retelling of A Christmas Carol for Apple in the works, starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. There’s certainly no shortage of adaptations of Dickens’ famous story, and now, the Avengers: Endgame directors are developing a modern take on the popular Christmas novel.
Screenwriting duo Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, who are known for writing films like Friday the 13th and Baywatch, announced on their Twitter account yesterday that the Russo Brothers have commissioned them to write “a modern version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” which they hope will be made in 2021. The pair also expressed their admiration for The Muppets Christmas Carol, calling it one of the "Top 3" versions. The full tweet can be seen below:
A Christmas Carol traditionally takes place on Christmas Eve in 19th century London, but if the Russos want “a modern version,” one would imagine that might not be the case. It will be interesting to see how close it will be to the original source material, and also if the Russos are directing or just producing the film. Swift and Shannon are certainly interesting choices for the project, as their last film Baywatch was not only a far cry from A Christmas Carol style film, but it also failed critically and commercially. Bill Condon will also be directing a musical based on the novel but from the perspective of Scrooge’s late business partner Marley. Audiences will have to wait and see what the Russos' version of A Christmas Carol has in store for them, but if it gets started in 2021, more details will surely be released soon.
Source: Mark Swift & Damian Shannon