In the shadowed eaves of Parisian spires, where stone gargoyles leer over cobblestone streets and the tolling bells of Notre Dame echo like a siren’s call, Disney’s most ambitious live-action resurrection stirs once more. It’s been nearly three decades since the 1996 animated masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame swung into theaters, blending Victor Hugo’s gothic tragedy with Alan Menken’s soaring melodies to create a cultural phenomenon that grossed over $321 million worldwide and earned two Oscar nominations. Now, in a tease that’s sent fans into a frenzy of speculation and nostalgia, producer and Disney darling Josh Gad has dropped a tantalizing update: the script for the live-action remake is finished—and it’s a beauty. Speaking to a rapt audience at a recent virtual panel for his podcast The Josh Gad Show on November 5, 2025, Gad gushed, “We’ve got a script that’s not just ready; it’s revolutionary. It’s got the heart, the humor, and the haunting depth that Hugo dreamed of, wrapped in the magic only Disney can deliver.” As whispers of casting calls and production timelines swirl like autumn leaves in the Seine, this long-gestating project—announced in 2019 amid Disney’s live-action renaissance—feels tantalizingly close to reality. But with Hollywood’s gears grinding slower than Quasimodo’s ropes, will this be the bell-ringer that revives the Mouse House’s musical magic, or another echo in the chamber of unfulfilled promises?

The original Hunchback was no ordinary Disney fare. Released in the shadow of The Lion King‘s roar, it dared to plunge into Hugo’s 1831 novel—a tale of love, lust, and societal scorn—with a boldness that shocked and awed. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kevin Lima, the film transformed the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo into a poignant everyman, voiced by Tom Hulce with a vulnerability that pierced the Renaissance-era animation’s grandeur. Esmeralda, the fiery Romani dancer brought to life by Demi Moore’s sultry timbre, wasn’t just a damsel; she was a defiant force against Judge Claude Frolo’s puritanical tyranny, sung with operatic fury in “Hellfire.” Phoebus, the dashing captain played by Kevin Kline, added swashbuckling charm, while the comic relief trio of gargoyles—Victor’s erudition, Hugo’s ribaldry, and Laverne’s sass, voiced by Charles Kimbrough, Jason Alexander, and Mary Kay Bergman—provided levity amid the gloom. Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s score was a revelation: “Out There” a yearning anthem of isolation, “God Help the Outcasts” a prayer for the marginalized, and “The Bells of Notre Dame” an overture that thundered like judgment day. Critically divisive at the time—praised for maturity, critiqued for tonal whiplash—it has since ascended to cult status, its Broadway adaptation (1999 in Berlin, revived in the U.S. in 2016) proving its theatrical bones. In an era of sanitized remakes, fans crave a Hunchback that honors the source’s shadows: Quasimodo’s unrequited longing, Frolo’s demonic zeal, and the cathedral’s looming omniscience.

Enter Josh Gad, the 44-year-old comic powerhouse whose Disney resume reads like a greatest-hits reel: the bumbling snowman Olaf in Frozen (2013) and its 2019 sequel, the oafish LeFou in the 2017 Beauty and the Beast live-action behemoth. Gad’s involvement in Hunchback dates back to January 2019, when Disney tapped him as producer alongside Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman—the same duo behind Beauty and the Beast‘s $1.26 billion triumph. Early rumors swirled that Gad might don prosthetics for Quasimodo himself, his everyman warmth and vocal prowess (honed in Broadway’s The Book of Mormon) making him a natural fit for the role’s blend of pathos and playfulness. But Gad has played coy, teasing in a 2023 Instagram post—captioning a fan-made poster with a cheeky “One day…”—that his heart lies in shepherding the vision. “I’m not saying I’m Quasi,” he joked on The Late Late with James Corden that year, “but if Olaf can melt hearts, imagine what a hunchback with my pipes could do.” His latest reveal, however, shifts the spotlight to the script: penned by Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Soft Power), it’s a faithful fusion of Hugo’s prose and the animated film’s spirit, clocking in at a lean 120 pages that balance spectacle with soul. Hwang, whose work often grapples with identity and otherness, infuses the narrative with contemporary resonance—think Esmeralda’s advocacy amplified against modern echoes of prejudice—while preserving the novel’s tragic arc, rumored to end not in happily-ever-after but in poignant sacrifice.

Gad’s enthusiasm isn’t mere hype; it’s born of deep dives. During the pandemic slowdown, he and Hoberman hunkered in virtual rooms with Menken and Schwartz, the Oscar-winning duo whose return ensures the soundtrack’s sanctity. “Alan’s melodies are timeless, but Steve’s lyrics? They’re getting a fresh coat of Hugo’s grit,” Gad shared in his podcast, hinting at reimagined numbers like a folk-infused “Topsy Turvy” for the Festival of Fools and a haunting choral “Sanctuary” that swells with Notre Dame’s stone acoustics. No director is attached yet—speculation runs to Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast) for his musical mastery or Jon M. Chu (Wicked) for his visual flair—but Gad name-dropped potential collaborators: “We’re talking to visionaries who get the gothic romance, the way light pierces gargoyle gloom.” Casting remains the juiciest enigma. For Esmeralda, whispers favor a powerhouse like Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Wicked) for her vocal fire and fierce grace. Phoebus could draw Tom Holland’s agile charm or Regé-Jean Page’s brooding intensity. Frollo, the story’s serpentine spine, begs a villain of operatic menace—perhaps Ralph Fiennes channeling his Voldemort venom or Cillian Murphy’s icy precision. And the gargoyles? A motion-capture dream team, with Gad eyeing cameos from comedy vets like Awkwafina or Bowen Yang to echo the originals’ levity. As for Quasimodo, if not Gad, contenders include Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons) for youthful vulnerability or a surprise like Timothée Chalamet, whose ethereal edge could redefine the outcast.

Yet for all the tease, Hunchback‘s path has been labyrinthine. Announced amid Disney’s remake gold rush—post-Aladdin ($1.05 billion), pre-The Little Mermaid‘s splashy 2023—it stalled in development hell. The 2020 pandemic axed early pre-vis shoots in Paris, while 2022’s writers’ strike delayed Hwang’s revisions. Disney’s live-action pivot, soured by Pinocchio‘s streaming fizzle and Peter Pan & Wendy‘s muted reception, raised eyebrows: Why resurrect a PG-rated darkness when Mufasa: The Lion King (December 2024) banks on nostalgia? Gad addressed the skeptics head-on in his update: “This isn’t cookie-cutter. It’s a cathedral of a movie—grand, gothic, unafraid to ask hard questions about beauty and belonging.” Budget estimates hover at $150-200 million, eyeing IMAX spectacles: drone shots soaring over recreated Notre Dame facades (filmed at Hungary’s Etyek Kubik or London’s Shepperton Studios), practical sets for the Court of Miracles’ underground revelry, and VFX for Quasimodo’s aerial escapades. Location scouts in 2024 eyed Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher for the film’s vertiginous drops, blending fiscal savvy with atmospheric awe. With Disney’s 2025 slate crammed—Snow White in March, Moana live-action in July—Hunchback eyes a 2027 slot, potentially clashing with Universal’s musicals but carving its niche as the Mouse’s prestige play.

Fan fervor, reignited by Gad’s drop, is a tidal wave. Social media erupted post-podcast: #HunchbackLiveAction trended with 500,000 mentions in 24 hours, fan art flooding Instagram—Quasimodo silhouetted against aurora-lit bells, Esmeralda’s dance reimagined in firelight. TikTok stitches mash the 1996 trailer with Wicked‘s “Defying Gravity,” amassing 10 million views, while Reddit’s r/Disney theorizes endlessly: “Gad as Quasi? Peak casting—Olaf’s innocence meets Hugo’s horror.” Critics, too, buzz with cautious optimism. Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman penned an op-ed: “In a remake era of meh, Hunchback could be the redemption—darker, deeper, a Hugo homage that sings.” Echoing the original’s themes of sanctuary amid persecution, the remake arrives amid global reckonings: post-2024’s Notre Dame reopening after the 2019 blaze, it symbolizes resilience, its bells tolling for inclusivity in a divided world. Gad, ever the optimist, ties it personal: “As a dad of two girls, this story’s about seeing the divine in the ‘different’—that’s the Disney I grew up on.”

Challenges loom, of course. Hugo’s novel is unflinching—Quasimodo’s disfigurement a metaphor for societal deformity, Frolo’s lust a powder keg—and Disney’s family filter demands deft navigation. The 1996 film softened edges (no Esmeralda’s execution, a happier quasi-quasi romance), but Gad vows fidelity: “We’re leaning into the tragedy, but with hope’s harmony.” Cultural sensitivity is paramount: Romani consultants ensure Esmeralda’s arc honors heritage, not stereotypes, while disability advocates guide Quasimodo’s portrayal—emphasizing inner light over outer “fix.” In an age of CGI excess, the film’s hybrid approach—practical puppets for gargoyles, AR-enhanced choirs—promises tactility, a counter to Mulan‘s green-screen sterility.

As 2025 wanes, Gad’s tease feels like a clarion call. “The script’s locked; now we ring the bell,” he concluded, voice cracking with Olaf-esque glee. For Disney, it’s a gamble on gravitas amid Frozen 3‘s frolic. For fans, a pilgrimage to Paris’s shadows, where outcasts find their song. Will Quasimodo swing free in 2027, or linger in development’s dungeon? One thing’s certain: with Gad at the rope, the bells will toll true—haunting, hopeful, and utterly human. Stream the original on Disney+, hum “Someday,” and wait for the chimes. Notre Dame awaits its encore, and Hollywood, its hunchbacked hero.