Disney Is Developing A Live Action Adaptation Of Flat Stanley

Disney is officially moving forward with a new feature film based on a beloved character from children’s literature. The studio has started development on a movie centered around ‘Flat Stanley’ and his two-dimensional adventures. This project is intended to be a live-action hybrid release. It aims to bring the classic story to a modern audience using current filmmaking technology.

The studio has tapped a successful production team to shepherd this movie to the screen. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich are set to produce the film through their banner Rideback. This duo has an extensive history of creating massive hits for the House of Mouse. Their previous credits include the live-action adaptation of ‘Aladdin’ which was a massive financial success globally.

They are also the team behind the recent live-action version of ‘Lilo & Stitch’ for Disney+. Rideback has proven they can handle properties that require a blend of real actors and complex visual effects. This expertise will be vital for bringing a character who is as thin as a sheet of paper to life alongside human co-stars. The project is currently in the very early stages of development at the studio.

Executives are currently searching for a writer to pen the screenplay for this adaptation. The source material comes from the famous book series created by author Jeff Brown. Brown first introduced the world to the Lambchop family in 1964. The original book features illustrations by Tomi Ungerer and has remained a staple in elementary schools for decades.

The story begins with a peculiar accident involving the young protagonist Stanley Lambchop. He is sleeping soundly when a large bulletin board falls off the wall and flattens him completely. He survives the incident without injury but finds himself transformed physically. Stanley discovers that being flat has some very unique advantages in his daily life.

He can slide under closed doors to enter locked rooms without a key. His brother Arthur even helps him fly like a kite in the park to amuse their friends. One of the most famous plot points involves Stanley folding himself up to fit inside a standard mailing envelope. This allows him to visit friends in California by simply traveling through the postal system for a small fee.

This concept of mailing the character sparked a global phenomenon known as the Flat Stanley Project. Teachers and students created paper cutouts of the character to mail to different cities and countries. Recipients would take photos of the paper character at local landmarks before returning him with a journal entry. This activity helped the book maintain its popularity across several generations of young readers.

There have been attempts to adapt this story for the screen in the past. Screenwriter Waldo Salt reportedly tried to launch a film version decades ago but it never materialized into a finished product. Disney now hopes to succeed where others have not by utilizing modern hybrid techniques to realize the visual gag of a flattened boy. No release date or casting announcements have been made at this time.

Please let us know if you grew up reading these books or participating in the school project in the comments.