New animated movie musical by Alan Menken sets 2022 release

It’s more than likely that the sound of your childhood was defined by Alan Menken; we know ours were! So it’s incredibly exciting to see him return to animated musicals with Spellbound! Produced by Skydance Animation, whose debut film Luck is due out next year, the film is set to put the new studio on the map. 

Despite composing stage musicals such as Little Shop of Horrors, Alan Menken is actually best known for his work with Disney. Alongside lyricists such as Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Menkin is responsible for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tangled and more. His music defined the Disney Renaissance of the 1990’s and won him 8 Oscars in the process. 

Spellbound is described as a musical fantasy, in which a young girl must break the spell that’s divided her kingdom. The film is directed by Vicky Jenson, of Shrek fame, with a script by Elizabeth Martin and Linda Woolverton, who have previously worked on Mulan and The Lion King. For the film, Menken will be reunited with fellow Disney alumni Glenn Slater. 

Menken is also in the process of working on a number of other projects. This includes writing for the upcoming remakes of The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, plus adapting Hercules and Night at the Museum for Broadway. 

Spellbound! is due for release on 11 November 2022, with casting details yet to be announced.