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The Emperor’s New Groove live-action remake could be an unexpected hit for Disney, though despite it being suggested by fans for years there’s been no official plans to bring Cuzco, Pacha, Kronk, and Yzma back in a new medium. The 2000 animated movie The Emperor’s New Groove wasn’t one of Disney’s most financially successful animated movies, but despite not being heavily pushed by the House of Mouse in the decades since it’s managed to fiercely hold on to a loyal following. The now cult classic has lived on thanks to memes and Disney+, leading many to wonder if a live-action Emperor’s New Groove could be on the cards.
While there’s no word on the project yet, speculation on a remake and who would step up to replace David Space, John Goodman, Patrick Warburton, and the late Eartha Kitt in the live-action Emperor’s New Groove cast remains high. The fact there’s been no official discussion or even mention from anyone at Disney is surprising too, since the story and general tone of the original would lend itself well to a modern live-action reimagining.
Most Recent Live-Action Emperor’s New Groove News
There hasn’t been any news on a live-action The Emperor’s New Groove yet. However, since the project is regularly discussed online among the general Disney fandom and viewers specifically interested in the animated 2000 original, a remake with a live-action cast never feels far away from entering earnest discussion behind the scenes — especially due to the number of Emperor’s New Groove memes keeping interest in the cult Disney comedy high.
Despite no updates on the project coming from Disney themselves, plenty of live-action Emperor’s New Groove casting ideas and discussions regularly pop up on sites like YouTube and various fansites. While there’s nothing official yet, all it would take is a director or creative with some leverage at the House of Mouse to put the project forward. If this were to ever happen then some significant news on the live-action The Emperor’s New Groove could soon follow.
The Live-Action Emperor’s New Groove Isn’t Confirmed
A live-action The Emperor’s New Groove remake isn’t confirmed, and Disney has never made any serious efforts to give the project the green light. Disney has been working through their back catalog of animated classics and turning them into live-action feature films for modern audiences though. Sooner or later it’s entirely possible that The Emperor’s New Groove could be confirmed as the next live-action Disney remake, though it likely won’t be for some time.
Live-Action Emperor’s New Groove Release Date Prediction
Since it’s not confirmed, and Disney has their slate of upcoming remakes mapped out, the live-action Emperor’s New Groove release date is still several years away (if it ever arrives at all). Even a premiere date of 2028 feels optimistic. However, if fan demand continues to swell it could be fast-tracked to arrive sooner, though even in this highly unlikely scenario a live-action Emperor’s New Groove release date before 2026-2027 is unrealistic. The movie would likely require extensive post-production given its setting, which means even with a confirmation a few years would still be required for development and filming.
Live-Action Emperors New Groove Cast
The live-action Emperor’s New Groove cast would be one of the biggest sells for the movie, though also one of its biggest challenges to overcome. The cast of The Emperor’s New Groove is a key factor in the movie’s longevity as a cult Disney classic. David Spade (Grown Ups, The Wrong Missy) played the titular Emperor-turned-llama Cuzco in the original — a career highlight as far as voice acting goes. However, Cuzco is considerably younger than David Spade, especially now that over two decades have passed since the animated original. Spade reprising the role is unlikely, though finding a replacement will be a greater challenge than usual for Disney given Spade’s performance.
Another challenge would be John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as Pacha. While Pacha isn’t as young as Cuzco, he is still several decades younger than John Goodman in the 2020s. However, this could be remedied by adjusting the story, with Pacha as a grandfather rather than father. What would be more difficult to address is John Goodman’s cultural background — a key obstacle for all the original cast. Characters in The Emperor’s New Groove live-action remake would realistically need to find a cast of Peruvian heritage, since it’s set in the Incan Empire.
Where this presents a key difficulty as far as the demands of fans vs. the expectations of modern audiences go is Patrick Warburton (Family Guy, Ted). Warburton’s performance as Kronk is borderline iconic, with the character being so popular that the 2005 sequel Kronk’s New Groove was centered around the character. Warburton reprising the role of Kronk for the live-action Emperor’s New Groove has been a feature of many fan castings, and while Warburton has the physicality to play the character live there could still be concerns around the fact that the actor has no ties to Peru.
The final role that would need to be recast is the late Eartha Kitt as the villainous antagonist Yzma. Kitt, a legend of the silver screen and influential singer, passed away in 2008. Her delivery of lines like “pull the lever, Kronk” is a significant contributor to the long-lasting legacy of the cult classic original and account for many The Emperor’s New Groove memes. Finding an actor who could fill the legend’s shoes and ensure the live-action The Emperor’s New Groove spiritually carries what made the 2000 animated movie is one of the biggest cast challenges Disney will face with their remake.
Live-Action Emperor’s New Groove Story Details: What Would Disney Change?
The Disney remakes have mostly followed the stories of the animated classics, and the live-action The Emperor’s New Groove plot would likely do the same. The original 2000 movie told the story of Cuzco, the arrogant and self-centered Incan Emperor. He wants to build a new holiday-home (complete with waterslide) on the mountain with the best view in the Empire – which is, unfortunately, where Pacha and his family live.
Fortunately for Pacha, Cuzco’s self-obsession makes him too short-sighted to see his advisor, Yzma, is plotting his downfall. Even more fortunately for Pacha, Yzma enlists Kronk’s entirely unhelpful assistance. This results in Cuzco turning into a Llama and needing someone to guide him safely out of the deadly jungles of Peru. Thanks to Pacha stepping up and teaching Cuzco some lessons in humanity and ethics along the way, Cuzco sees the error of his callous ways by the time he’s turned back into a human. He builds a smaller hut next to Pacha’s village, and is implied to become a much more compassionate ruler.
The live-action Emperor’s New Groove story would likely follow this narrative, while making a few changes along the way. The story of the original is partly why many feel a live-action remake would work so well. Unlike many of Disney’s animated movies from the 1990s, The Emperor’s New Groove relies more on its comedic dialogue than it does songs and musical numbers. A remake with a cast of contemporary comedians bringing Cuzco, Pacha, Yzma, and Kronk to life could make the live-action Emperors New Groove one of the strongest Disney remakes so far — if they give it the green light, that is.
