"Fist Fight" star Ice Cube and "Hamilton" Tony-winning director Thomas Kail team up on Disney's musical live-action "Oliver Twist." Get ready for Cube as Fagin.
Cube will star as the elderly leader of a gang of pickpockets in London in "Oliver Twist," Variety reported. He will also produce through his Cube Vision company, alongside Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm and the veteran movie producer Marc Platt.
"Oliver Twist" is based on Charles Dickens' most famous works of the same title that was published in 1837. It revolves around the story of an orphan who starts his life in a workhouse, is sold into the apprenticeship with an undertaker, and escapes to join a gang of juvenile pickpockets.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new "Oliver Twist" will be a modern musical with sources describing it as crossing many genres, including hip hop. It will be set in present-day America and use a combination of musical styles. Cube and Kwatinetz are writing the treatment.
"Oliver Twist" is in able hands with Cube since he is the former co-founder of seminal rap group N.W.A turned actor and producer. He is most recently producing the group's biopic "Straight Outta Compton" and both "Ride Along" movies, namely, "Barbershop: The Next Cut" and "Beauty Shop."
Cube will also be seen next in the New Line comedy "Fist Fight," which he also executive produced that bows to open on Feb. 17, 2017. He is represented by UTA, The Firm, and Ziffren Brittenham.
The story of "Oliver Twist" has been adapted many times into stage plays and films. The 1968 movie musical "Oliver!" is directed by Carol Reed, starred Ron Moody as Fagin, and won six Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. On TV, NBC and Silver Pictures Television are developing a pilot-script deal for "Twist," which is a sexy, contemporary, female-led adaptation.
Watch the video of Disney plans "Oliver Twist" musical with Ice Cube as Fagin: