The Medici Brothers' Circus is a fictional traveling circus that appears in the 2019 live-action film Dumbo. It is based on the circus from the 1941 animated film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl.
History[]
The Medici Brothers' Circus was founded by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), who inherited it from his father. The circus traveled across the United States, performing various acts such as clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and animal trainers. Among its performers were Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), a former equestrian star who lost his arm in World War I, and his wife Annie, who died from the Spanish flu outbreak.
In 1919, the circus faced financial troubles due to the war and the public’s changing tastes. Medici bought a pregnant Asian elephant named Mother Ella Jumbo, hoping that her baby would attract more audiences. However, when the baby was born with unusually large ears, he was mocked and ridiculed by the crowd and nicknamed Dumbo. Medici ordered Holt, who became the elephant's caretaker, to hide Dumbo's ears.
However, Holt's children, Milly and Joe, discovered that Dumbo could use his ears to fly. They helped him perform his flying act in front of the crowd, which amazed them and made Dumbo a star attraction. The circus's success caught the attention of V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), a wealthy entrepreneur who owned a state-of-the-art amusement park called Dreamland. Vandevere offered to buy the circus and make Dumbo part of his newest show, alongside a stunning aerial artist named Colette Marchant (Eva Green).
Medici agreed to sell the circus to Vandevere, who promised to take care of Dumbo and his mother. However, Vandevere was only interested in exploiting Dumbo for profit and fame. He separated Dumbo from his mother and planned to kill her and the other circus animals after he acquired a new elephant from India. He also mistreated and fired the circus performers, who remained loyal to Medici.
Holt, Milly, Joe, Colette, and Medici learned of Vandevere's true intentions and decided to rescue Dumbo and his mother. They sabotaged Vandevere's show and caused a fire that destroyed Dreamland. They escaped with Dumbo and his mother on a train and reunited with the other circus animals and performers. They then released Dumbo and his mother into the wild in Africa, where they joined a herd of other elephants.
The Medici Brothers' Circus continued to travel and perform without animal acts, focusing on human talents and innovations. Holt became Colette's partner in her aerial act, while Milly pursued her interest in science.
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