Questlove To Direct Live-action Reimagining Of 'The Aristocats'

The Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will be in the director’s chair for the upcoming reimagining of the 1970 classic animated film, The Aristocats, Deadline reports.

As Pitchfork notes, as well as being a renowned musician, Questlove is an acclaimed director. 

He made his directorial debut in 2021 with Summer Of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary feature film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. 

The film won the Best Documentary Feature award at the 94th Academy Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Music Film at the 64th edition of the Grammys.

“This is such a stunning moment for me right now, but it’s not about me,” Questlove said when accepting his Oscar. “It’s about marginalised people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain. Just know that in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalised people in Harlem.”

Questlove will also be the executive producer and music supervisor for the new live-action/hybrid The Aristocats.

Robert and Richard Sherman wrote many songs for the original Aristocats movie, but only two, the title track and Scales And Arpeggios, were featured in the film. It was the Sherman Brothers' final movie as staff songwriters for Disney.

The original film also includes the well-known track, Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat, composed by Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker and performed by Scatman Crothers, Phil Harris, and Robie Lester.

Questlove is a drummer, DJ and author, as well as someone you may recognise from The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, where he plays with the legendary house band The Roots. He has worked with some of the greatest figures in music, from D'Angelo to Eminem.