Kenny Ortega Developing YA Reimagining of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for Disney+

Kenny Ortega, known for his work as a director and choreographer with the High School Musical and Descendants franchises, is taking on an iconic theatre figure: the Phantom of the Opera.

According to Deadline, Ortega will direct and executive produce the movie, which will be a young adult reimagining of the classic Gaston Leroux tale for Disney+. The studio is looking at franchise potential with the project, hoping for another Descandants-level success. The spec script was written by Giovanni M. Porta, with reports indicating that it will not be an adaptation of the long-running Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Likewise, it has yet to be confirmed if the project will feature original songs or if Ortega will also be serving as a choreographer on the film. Read more at Deadline.

In addition to his work for the aforementioned Disney properties, Ortega has also worked on Dirty Dancing, Hocus Pocus, Newsies, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Most recently, he worked on the Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms for Netflix. 

The Phantom of the Opera, which follows the antics of the musical and mysterious masked figure at the Paris Opera House, has spawned numerous adaptations for the stage and screen, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, which closed on Broadway in April 2023 after 35 years at the Majestic Theatre. That Hal Prince-directed productions won 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actor for Michael Crawford, and broke multiple records over the course of its long run. It is considered one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time.

Other stage versions include Maury Yeston's 1991 adaptation, simply titled Phantom. Though this musical has received regional productions, it has yet to hit the Broadway stage.