Disney is known for changing the original stories its animated movies are based on, but the one of this 28-year-old movie poses a big problem for its live-action version. Disney continues to be a powerhouse in the world of animation, a reign that began in 1937 with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel-animated feature film. Since then, Disney has produced over 60 animated movies, all of them with different stories, contexts, inspirations, and themes.

In 1989, Disney entered the Disney Renaissance, a period in which the studio went back to producing critically and commercially successful animated movies after a couple of failures in the 1970s and 1980s. Among the movies released during this era was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in 1996. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo and takes the audience to Paris, France. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney’s darkest animated movies, but its source novel is even worse.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is One Of Disney’s Darkest Animated Movies

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Addressed Some Dark Topics

The Hunchback of Notre Dame introduces viewers to Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce), a young man with physical deformities and a hunch on his back who was taken in by Judge Frollo (Tony Jay) when he was a baby. Frollo killed Quasimodo’s mother as she pleaded for sanctuary at the doors of Notre Dame, and before he could kill baby Quasimodo, the archdeacon stopped him and told him to raise the baby as his own – however, Frollo’s only condition was that Quasimodo lived and hid in the cathedral’s bell tower.

Quasimodo grew up longing to go out, explore the world, and be part of society, and despite his difficult upbringing, he was kind and empathetic. Meanwhile, Frollo looked to get rid of all of Paris’ Roma population, like Quasimodo’s mother, and after humiliating Quasimodo at the Festival of Fools, they met Esmeralda (Demi Moore), a Roma who stood up to Frollo and defended Quasimodo. What followed were Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Captain Phoebus’ (Kevin Kline) efforts to stop Frollo’s plans, but they soon realized they were also in great danger.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame addressed themes that aren’t usually seen in a Disney animated movie, making it one of the Mouse House’s darkest movies ever. The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s themes included infanticide, discrimination, damnation, genocide, racism, corruption, lust, and sin, along with its religious themes and how these clashed with Frollo’s beliefs, role as judge, and his own, obscure desires. Disney didn’t exactly tone these down in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but when compared to Victor Hugo’s novel, Disney’s version isn’t so dark, after all.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Original Novel Is A Lot Darker Than Disney’s Movie

Victor Hugo’s Novel Went To Really Dark Places

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame made many changes to Victor Hugo’s classic novel, and it’s more an adaptation of other adaptations and reimaginings of the book. In Victor Hugo’s novel, Frollo wasn’t a judge but the archdeacon of Notre Dame, and he rescued Quasimodo when he was abandoned on the cathedral’s foundling bed. Frollo was very into alchemy, so much so that the townspeople believed him to be a sorcerer, and he had an irrational fear of women.

However, Frollo also had strong passions, and despite being celibate, he became obsessed with 16-year-old Roma girl Esmeralda, who he saw as a temptation sent by the devil. Frollo went as far as to order Quasimodo to abduct Esmeralda, and while spying on a sexual encounter between Esmeralda and Phoebus, he stabbed the latter out of jealousy and kissed Esmeralda when she fainted.

In the novel, Quasimodo was half-blind and half-deaf, and though he was also good at heart, he committed acts of violence. When Esmeralda was sentenced to be hanged, Quasimodo rescued her, and he even saved her from Frollo when he sexually assaulted her in her room. Unfortunately, Esmeralda was lured outside by Frollo, who arrested her and hanged her, and upon seeing Frollo smiling at her execution, Quasimodo threw his master to his death from the balcony. Quasimodo left Notre Dame and headed for the Gibbet of Montfaucon, where Esmeralda’s corpse was thrown.

Quasimodo spent the rest of his days lying next to and clutching the corpse of Esmeralda, eventually dying of starvation. Phoebus was also very different in the novel, where he had an antagonistic role. Phoebus used Esmeralda for sex, emotionally manipulating her as she fell in love with him. Although he could prove Esmeralda’s innocence when she was tried for witchcraft, he chose not to do it so his adultery wouldn’t be exposed, and witnessed her execution without remorse. All of these details and more make it clear why Disney had to make so many changes to the novel in its animated movie.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is One Of Disney’s Biggest Live-Action Challenges

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Might Be Too Dark For A Live-Action Version

Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame clearly had to go through significant changes when Disney adapted it to an animated movie, as it had to fit a family-friendly tone, yet it still kept some of the novel’s most important and darkest themes. Now, as Disney continues to ride the wave of live-action remakes of some of its most popular animated movies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is on the list to get the live-action treatment. The live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was announced in 2019, with David Henry Hwang writing the script.

Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz were also announced to return to write the music for the movie, with Josh Gad, David Hoberman, and Todd Lieberman set to produce, and Gad was also considered to play Quasimodo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s live-action remake was also said to be taking elements from both the animated movie and Victor Hugo’s novel, which makes the project quite challenging given the themes of both.

So far, Disney’s live-action remakes have added to the stories to either expand on them or make them more appealing to a (slightly) more mature audience, and that is expected to happen with The Hunchback of Notre Dame as well. However, Disney has to be careful with which elements it brings from the novel, what it adds to the story, and how it brings the animated movie’s themes to life, as they’re quite sensitive, all of this without losing the animated movie’s essence.

Will The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Live-Action Version Happen?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is Trapped In Development Hell

Despite the writer, composers, and producers being announced for the live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the project has now fallen into development hell. In 2021, Gad confirmed (via Inside the Magic) that The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s live-action remake was “getting closer” to happening, but in 2023, Menken said it was sitting in “limbo”, admitting that the live-action version of this particular movie is “a tough one” due to its “real, real issues” that “should be explored to be discussed” (via ComicBook).

Speaking to Screen Rant in April 2024, producer Roy Conli said the future of The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s live-action remake is uncertain. There have been no more updates on the development of The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s live-action remake since then, but it’s not surprising given the many challenges it has to overcome.

Sources: Inside the Magic, ComicBook.