Morgan Freeman Joins the Cast of Disney’s Live-Action ‘The Nutcracker’
Earlier this week, we learned that Disney had officially cast Interstellar actress Mackenzie Foy as Clara in their upcoming live-action adaptation of The Nutcracker. You can now add another name to that cast: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan Freeman is in talks to join the movie as the mysterious and whimsical Drosselmeyer. Fingers crossed that this means we will get a Morgan Freeman dance number in the new movie.
In the ballet, Drosselmeyer is godfather to the main character and a Santa Claus-type figure whose gifts set the stage for the fantastical story. In many productions of The Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer is played by a former or retired dancer, making the character something of an honor for people who have dedicated their careers to dance. That makes Morgan Freeman pretty much the best possible choice for a film adaptation of the ballet. Not only is Freeman a perfect match for the kindly old godfather figure, he is also a wonderful choice for a role meant to honor a long and important career.
Here is the synopsis for The Nutcracker courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:
The story, set at Christmastime, follows a young girl named Clara whose favorite toy, a Nutcracker, comes alive. After he defeats the Mouse King, he takes Clara away to a magical kingdom inhabited by dolls. The story inspired the famous ballet that featured one of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s most iconic compositions.
No release date has been set for the film, but it’s probably a safe bet that the movie will come out around the holidays in 2017 or 2018.