Honey, I Shrunk the Kidswas one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and whileJosh Gadhas been developing a sequel for the better part of the past year, it has been unclear who would direct the Disney movie – until now. In an inspired move, Disney is bringing back original directorJoe Johnstonto directShrunk, which will find Gad playing the son of Wayne Szalinski, the scientist played byRick Moranisin the 1989 classic.
The project brings Johnston’s career full circle, as he actually made his feature directorial debut withHoney, I Shrunk the Kids, which grossed $222 million worldwide 30 years ago, though he wasn’t involved with the 1992 sequelHoney, I Blew Up the Kidor its 1997 follow-upHoney, We Shrunk Ourselves. Instead, Johnston went on to direct live-action family films such asThe Rocketeer,The PagemasterandJumanji.
Gad pitched the idea for the latest sequel earlier this year, and while Disney initially had the project in mind for its streaming service Disney+, the studio has since reversed course and decided to develop the film as a theatrical release.Variety broke the news, and reported that the strategy shift was based on the strength ofTodd Rosenberg’s most recent draft of the script, which elicited enthusiasm from Disney executives.
David Hobermanis producing the movie, which will find Gad accidentally shrinking his own children after following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a scientist himself. Disney apparently met with other directors before deciding to bring back Johnston, who stepped in to finishThe Nutcracker and the Four Realmsfor the studio last year after original directorLasse Hallstrom’s schedule prevented him from directing reshoots for the film.
It’s nice to see that Disney hasn’t forgotten about Johnston, who followed his 2011 blockbusterCaptain America: The First Avengerwith a low-budget Blumhouse movie titledNot Safe for Workthat didn’t even garner a theatrical release. He’s an excellent director of family films, and I’m eager to see how modern technology will change his approach toward directing the major set pieces inShrunk.
Per Variety, development is still in the early stages and Disney has yet to officially greenlight the project. But with Gad onboard, the studio may not be able to resist, as he’s a key part of theFrozenfranchise, andFrozen 2has already grossed $750 million worldwide. He’ll also appear in Disney’sArtemis Fowl, which hits theaters next year.
Johnston’s additional credits includeJurassic Park III,The Wolfman,HidalgoandOctober Sky. He got his start working on the originalStar Warstrilogy as well as the first twoIndiana Jonesmovies. Paradigm represents the filmmaker. For more onCaptain America, check outMatt Goldberg’s retrospective onThe First Avengerbyclicking here.
