Mickey Meets the Bard? Alex Timbers to Direct Disney Musical Update of a Shakespeare Classic

Forget fairy-tales, Disney is digging into the classic works of Shakespeare for its next movie musical. The House of Mouse has hired Tony nominee Alex Timbers to direct an updated, musical take on an unspecified classic of the Bard's, according to Deadline.com. 

"The script stretches the boundaries of the movie musical and demands the sort of surprising visuals and raucous spectacle I love to create in my own stage musicals," Timbers said of the movie, whose plot details remain scarce. The project's screenplay is penned by Amy Talkington.

Timbers should get some good practice for the film this summer as he's set to helm a musical adaptation of Love Labour's Lost for the Public's upcoming Shakespeare in the Park season. Timbers earned Tony nominations for co-directing Peter and the Starcatcher and writing the book of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which he also directed. His other directing credits include The Pee-wee Herman Show, Gutenberg! The Musical, Boozy and A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Christmas Pageant.