Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English author, journalist, and social critic, who was considered one of the most influential and highly regarded writers of the Victorian era. Dickens wrote 21 novels and numerous short stories, many of which are held in high regard and continue to be adapted to this day.
Disney has primarily adapted the stories A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations.
Adaptations[]
Oliver Twist[]
Oliver & Company[]
A modernized adaptation (that is, late 1980s) of the story set in New York City and transforming most of the cast into animals. Oliver is portrayed as a kitten with Dodger portrayed as a dog. While it loosely follows the story for the first half, the second takes a more drastic turn to suit the film's themes. Features the voices of Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Natalie Gregory, Dom DeLuise, Robert Loggia, Cheech Marin, Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Richard Mulligan
Oliver Twist[]
A more faithful adaptation made for The Wonderful World of Disney. While it still has minor deviances, this one is considered one of the better adaptations of the novel. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Elijah Wood, Alex Trench, David O'Hara, and Maria Charles.
The Artful Dodger[]
More of a continuation of the original story, made for Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The series focuses on the titular character who now goes by the name Jack Dawkins, grew up and became a surgeon in Australia. His life takes a turn for the worse when his former mentor Fagin reenters his life, forcing him back into a life of crime. It stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Miranda Tapsell, and Jessica De Gouw.
A Christmas Carol[]
Mickey's Christmas Carol[]
The animated short film starring Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, and related characters. This version condenses the story into a 25 minute short and played in front of the re-releases of The Rescuers (U.S.), and The Jungle Book (U.K.). It later aired on television where it became a classic. It stars the voices of Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Clarence Nash, Hal Smith, Will Ryan, Eddie Carroll, and Patricia Parris. This short was also notable for being Allwine's first outing as Mickey Mouse and Nash's final performance as, a noticeably mellower, Donald Duck. Minnie Mouse appears, but has no speaking lines.
The Muppet Christmas Carol[]
A feature film adaptation starring The Muppets and Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. While the film is presented with the typical humor associated with the Muppets, it still maintains much of the original story as well as the dialogue. Aside from Caine, the film also stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, and Statler and Waldorf. With the Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, and David Rudman.
Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo[]
A direct-to-video film that loosely adapts the story with characters from Winnie the Pooh. Despite the title mentioning Roo, the film mainly focuses on Rabbit who is depicted in a Scrooge-like role and is set during the Spring time. It stars the voices of Ken Sansom, Jim Cummings, Jimmy Bennett, John Fiedler, Peter Cullen, Kath Soucie, and David Ogden Stiers.
A Christmas Carol[]
By far, the most faithful feature film adaptation, rendered in motion capture CGI. The film retains the setting, dialogue, and even features certain scenes from the novel not depicted elsewhere. It stars Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Colin Firth, and Bob Hoskins.
A Christmas Carol (FX)[]
A television miniseries produced by FXP and co-produced by BBC. This version is a darker adaptation that intended to tell the story in a grounded and grittier fashion and even expands on certain plot elements, such as depicting Marley being sent by the Ghost of Christmas Past to warn Scrooge. It stars Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Riley, Joe Alwyn, and Jason Flemyng.
Great Expectations[]
Great Expectations (Disney Channel)[]
A television miniseries adaptation that was produced for the Disney Channel and co-produced by ITV. This is one of the more faithful adaptations that makes very few changes from the source material. So much so, that it even slightly expands on certain plot elements. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Jean Simmons, John Rhys-Davies, Ray McAnally, and Anthony Calf.
Great Expectations (FX on Hulu)[]
A television miniseries adaptation made for FX on Hulu and co-produced by the BBC. While this version is also faithful to the story, it is also presented with a slightly darker and more serious tone than previous adaptations. It stars Fionn Whitehead, Johnny Harris, Trystan Gravelle, Matt Berry, and Olivia Colman.
Trivia[]
- Prior to Disney purchasing 20th Century Fox, the studio produced two other Dickens adaptations.
- Great Expectations (1998) by Alfonso Cuarón, which changed the setting from the early 1800s London to 1990s New York and altered the characters' names. It starred Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Cooper, Hank Azaria, Anne Bancroft, and Robert De Niro.
- Nicholas Nickleby (2002; international distribution only) by Douglas McGrath, which remained faithful to the source material. It starred Charlie Hunnam, Nathan Lane, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Bell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming, Timothy Spall, and Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries).
- In 2016, it was announced that a musical film adaptation of Oliver Twist was in development. Ice Cube was set to star as Fagin, as well as co-write and co-produce. As of 2024, no further announcements have been made.
