Disney has been greenlighting live-action adaptations of its beloved animated classics left and right, but none are quite like this.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Mouse House will give the spotlight to one of its darkest characters — the demon gargoyle Chernabog — in a future film.
If you're not a huge Disney fan, you may not be familiar with the character, who first appeared in an 11-minute segment of Disney's 1940 classic "Fantasia" called "Night on Bald Mountain."
The decision to make a movie around this guy seems kind of odd because, honestly, he's probably the most un-Disney-like character you could center a movie around.
He's essentially a depiction of the devil and is portrayed as nothing more than a frightening all powerful being.
Here are a few more looks at him from "Fantasia":
Not exactly family friendly, right?
While the movie news may come as a surprise, Disney's been quietly putting out feelers on the Chernabog character in recent years in some of its content.
The character has popped up on Disney's animated series "House of Mouse" as more of a misunderstood evil figure claiming he's actually afraid of the dark, and as a terrifying demon on ABC's "Once Upon a Time" this past season. He was also a boss character in Disney's popular "Kingdom Hearts" video game.
The Hollywood Reporter notes the film will "be similar to what Disney did with Maleficent."
If that's the route Disney's going, it makes sense — on paper at least.
It's a formula that's been working for four seasons of "Once Upon a Time," which tells the backstories of Disney's popular heroes and villains, along with 2014's "Maleficent" which grossed over $$758.4 million worldwide at theaters.
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless will write the script and executive produce the film.
There's no release date yet for the film.
You can watch the "Fantasia" segment featuring Chernabog below:
SEE ALSO: "Inside Out" is Pixar's most stunning animated film since "Finding Nemo"
AND: Disney has been recycling the same footage in its beloved animated classics for years
