Disney is developing an original live-action movie about Medusa, the snake-haired Gorgon of Greek mythology, Deadline reported on Friday, November 6. Michael Montemayor, who wrote Disney’s upcoming live-action Tangled, is writing the first draft. Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions is developing the film under its deal with Disney.
Disney has not publicly confirmed the project. No director, cast or release date has been announced.
Johnson Produces, but Isn’t Starring
Johnson is producing with his Seven Bucks partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, and Melissa Fried oversees the project for the company. Matt Smith of Electro Corduroy Entertainment also produces. Deadline says Medusa is not a starring vehicle for Johnson at this point.
Seven Bucks and Disney have worked together before. The company produced Jungle Cruise, which starred Johnson, and was involved in the live-action Moana, where Johnson returned as Maui.
A New Take on the Gorgon
The plot is being kept under wraps. Deadline describes Montemayor’s script as a unique take on the character. In the Greek myth, Medusa is one of three Gorgon sisters, along with Stheno and Euryale, and anyone who looks at her turns to stone. The hero Perseus beheads her and uses her head as a weapon. The character has a long screen history, including Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion Medusa in the 1981 Clash of the Titans and her appearance as a villain in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Montemayor’s Disney Slate
Medusa adds to a busy run for Montemayor at Disney Live Action. His live-action Tangled, directed by Michael Gracey, opens in theaters on March 31, 2028. He is also writing Stepsisters, an original live-action Cinderella spinoff, with Akiva Schaffer attached to direct and produce. Outside Disney, he sold an original romantic comedy, Court Date, to Netflix, with Berlanti/Schechter Films producing.
Medusa is at the first-draft stage, and there is no word yet on whether it is headed to theaters or Disney+.
Sources: Deadline
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