Back in December it was announced that Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms would be undergoing “significant reshoots”.
With director Lasse Hallstrom (A Dog’s Purpose) unavailable due to scheduling conflicts, Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) was brought on board to oversee the additional photography, and now Deadline is reporting that Johnson will be credited as co-director for his efforts.
“I watched an early cut of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and I saw something unique and fresh,” states Johnston. “When I was asked to direct the remaining elements, I saw an opportunity to complete Lasse’s wonderful and wildly inventive vision. I know we’ll both be proud of the end result.”
“It was an absolute blessing to have Joe Johnston step in when it became clear that I wouldn’t be available for reshoots,” added Hallström, who reportedly asked Johnston himself to take on the task. “Joe is the ultimate expert in visual effects, and I enjoyed collaborating with him on this film.”
SEE ALSO: Watch the trailer for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms here
All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift from her late mother. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy and featuring a special performance by Misty Copeland, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is set for release on October 26th in the UK and on November 2nd in the US and stars Mackenzie Foy as Clara, Keira Knightley as The Sugar Plum Fairy, Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer, Eugenio Derbez as the Flower Realm King and Charles ‘Lil Buck’ Riley as the The Mouse King. Richard E. Grant and ballet stars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin also feature in the cast.
