Live-Action Update: Lady and the Tramp

In honor of classes starting back up in a week (well, less than a week, but let's round up so I don't freak out), I figured I should start blogging again.

So, I'm gonna ease back in with some news/updates that legit took me by surprise:

Tessa Thompson has been cast as the voice of Lady in the live action Lady and the Tramp. 

📷: The Independent

Let me clarify.

I 100% approve of this casting choice. I love Tessa Thompson: she's having a moment now -- what with Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok (is she alive in the MCU?! Did Thanos get her?!) and the new Men in Black, but I know her from her Veronica Mars days so.... -- I have faith that she knows a good thing when she sees it. Plus, the "original" (re: animated) Lady was voiced by Barbara Luddy a.k.a. Merrywether from Sleeping Beauty (<--that legit blew my mind, TBH) and, I don't know...I always liked that Lady's and Merrywether's voices were...I don't want to say "deeper" or "huskier," because the connotation there isn't what I'm going for, but their voices have a different pitch than, say, Aurora or Snow White. Their voices seemed unnaturally sweet and feminine, implying a preternatural innate daintiness that just seemed...unattainable? Unrealistic? All of the above? Both Merrywether and Lady are good-natured, to be sure, but they have a bite to them that I think Tessa Thompson will capture well. Well, for Lady at least. 

But...Lady and the Tramp live-action? 

IDK. I'm sure I knew this film was in the works, but honestly? Disney announced a live-action adaptation of basically everything they've ever made. And the 90's Renaissance remakes (The Lion King, Mulan, Aladdin) are kinda taking up the newsfeed right now. There's even been a fair amount of info on the Dumbo remake. Plus, I'm still waiting for updates on The Little Mermaid (which y'all know is my fave) with Lin-Manuel Miranda so...I kinda forgot about Lady and the Tramp.

Whoops. 

I love the film -- despite it's problematic parts (Si and Am, anyone?) -- and Tony's Town Square restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat in Magic Kingdom. I mean, who doesn't love Italian? (But, really. For the longest time, it was kinda one of the only sit-down, table-service (re: not a buffet) restaurants in MK.) And dogs? And dogs sharing a bowl of spaghetti?! LOVE. 

But, much like The Jungle Book adaptation (and, TBH, The Lion King), I remain skeptical (and cautiously optimistic!) about "live-action" adaptations starring CGI animals.

We'll see. 

Lady And The Tramp GIF from Smooch GIFs