Disney's Live Action Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a American live action musical drama film directed by David Fincher, produced by Guillermo Del Toro and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The majority of it is based on the 1996 Disney animated film, the 1999 - 2002 Berlin Disney stage musical and the 2013 King's Academy Florida Disney stage musical, with some elements of the 2014 - 2015 American stage musical and Victor Hugo's Novel. The script was written by James Lapine (who wrote the 1999 - 2002 Berlin stage musical and the 2013 King's Academy Florida Disney stage musical) and Andrew Kevin Walker. The film stars Christy Carlson Romano as Esmeralda, Nicholas Hoult as Quasimodo, Armie Hammer as Captain Phoebus Gringoire, Kyla Pratt as Djali, Sacha Baron Cohen as Clopin, Bryan Cranston as Victor, Jason Alexander reprising his role as Hugo, Jessica Walter as Laverne, Terence Stamp as The Archdeacon and Alan Rickman as the evil Judge Claude Frollo in his final role. Given it's darker than usual tone, it is the first live action Disney remake to be rated PG-13.

The film received positive reviews, with praise going to the script, the music, the costume design, and the performances of Romano, Hoult and Rickman. It grossed over $995.9 million worldwide on a $245 million budget.

Plot
The film opens in 1482 Paris and are introduced to the film's narrator Clopin (Sacha Baron Cohen)telling the story of the bellringer of Notre Dame. The story flashes back to 1462 with four gypsies sneaking into Paris but are ambushed by a squadron of soldiers working for Judge Claude Frollo (Alan Rickman), the minister of justice and de facto ruler of Paris. A gypsy woman named Gudule (Salma Hayek) is suspected of stealing stolen goods. Gudule flees with her baby and Frollo's Soldiers hunt her down. She makes it to the Notre Dame cathedral claiming sanctuary. Judge Frollo's soldiers catch up to her. Gudule gets into a struggle the soldiers while Frollo catches up to her and gets into a struggle with the woman. Judge Frollo kicks Gudule to the ground. Gudule coughs out blood and dies. The judge discovers that the "stolen goods" is a deformed baby and attempts to drown the baby, until the Archdeacon (Terence Stamp) stops the minister from murdering the baby. Judge Frollo tells the Archdeacon the baby is "an unholy demon that needs to be sent back to hell where it belongs". The Archdeacon accuses him of murdering an innocent woman. Frollo replies that he is justified and the baby cannot have a life. The Archdeaon replies to Judge Frollo that he lie to himself all he wants but he cannot hide his crime from the eyes of god. Fearing for his soul and to atone for his sin, Frollo reluctantly agrees to raise the deformed child in the Cathedral's bell tower as his son, naming him Quasimodo (meaning half-formed). He notes that someday the child may have use for him. We than cut back to 1482 and cuts back to Clopin and asks the audience what makes a monster and what makes a man. (Bells of Notre Dame).

Twenty years later, Quasimodo (Nicholas Hoult) has developed into a kind yet isolated young man with three gargoyles, Victor (Bryan Cranston), Hugo (Jason Alexander), and Laverne (Jessica Walter), as his only company, constantly told by Judge Frollo that he is a monster who would be rejected by the uncaring outside world (Out There Part I/Sanctuary I). Quasimodo reflects on his solitary life (Out There Part II) and decides to sneak out of the cathedral despite Frollo's warnings.

We than cut back to a young soldier, Captain Phoebus Gringoire (Arime Hammer) on his way to the palace. We are than introduced to two beautiful Gypsy women, Esmeralda (Christy Carlson Romano) and Djali (Kyla Pratt). Esmeralda in particular catches the hearts of many men. The two gypsies are distracted and run into two guards. Lietuenant Jacques (Clancy Brown) and Sergeant Tristan (Mark Rolston). Jacques and Tristan harass the two gypsies. Esmeralda and Djali kick them in the groin and escape. Phoebus interrupts the two guards and asks them a way to the palace of justice. Phoebus than heads back to the palace of Justice and reflects on the trauma of the war (Rest And Recreation Part I).