Long-in-development project on hold indefinitely.
THR has word that Walt Disney Pictures has pulled the plug on its fantasy action adventure ‘Order of the Seven’ due to the project increasing budget.
Originally developed as a live action martial arts take on ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ the film was reportedly hoping to start production as soon as this summer in London.
Saoirse Ronan was attached to lead the film in the role of Olivia Sinclair, a British expatriate in 19th century Hong Kong, who seeks the protection of a centuries old group of warriors, now a jaded group of outlaws. After the re-emergence of an ancient evil empress, Sinclair helps the warriors reclaim their destiny and noble roots.
The project would have served as the feature directorial debut of commercials director Michael Gracey, and according to sources, having a first-time director on the project contributed to Disney’s pause.
Disney halted production on ‘The Lone Ranger’ last year due to spiralling expenses, only to give the film a greenlight after the budget was trimmed. That could be the case with ‘Order of the Seven’ as the studio recently hired Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (‘Iron Man’) to polish the script. We shall have to wait and see if the project is resurrected.