Disney has recently announced that they will be moving forward with the animated film King of the Elves. Michael Markowitz, screenwriter of the upcoming film Horrible Bosses, has been hired to write the screenplay for this Walt Disney Animation Studios film.
The film, an adaptation of a short story by Philip K. Dick, focuses on a group of elves and one dwarf who reside in the Mississippi Delta. When a human saves the group from an evil troll, he is declared to be their king.
Disney originally expected King of the Elves to have a 2012 release, but the project was pushed back into development to flesh out the story when John Lasseter became the studio’s Chief Creative Officer in 2006. The project was first announced to the public in 2008 alongside such projects as Wall-E, Tangled (then titled Rapunzel), and Brave (then The Bear and the Bow).
While originally Brother Bear creators Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker were slated to direct the film, the project will now be helmed by Bolt co-director and writer Chris Williams. John Lasseter and Chuck Williams will produce.
King of the Elves is currently expected to make its debut in the winter of 2013.
