Ice Cube Is Bringing Us A Modern 'Oliver Twist'

Get ready to hear a modern, more exciting version of, "Oliver, Oliver, never before has a boy asked for more." Entertainment Weekly reports that Ice Cube is developing a modern-day Oliver Twist. He'll be collaborating with Disney on this musical film inspired by the Charles Dickens' classic. No, I'm serious. You do not need to get your prescription checked, wipe off your screen, or pinch yourself. This is real. The rapper, actor, and filmmaker will be taking a swipe at the tale of a scrappy orphan, who finds himself all tangled up with a dancing gang of pickpockets and other such criminals in 19th century London. Seriously.

This story has been remade quite a few times, but, this time, Ice Cube — and perhaps, negotiations still pending, the Tony-award winning director of Hamilton, Tommy Kail — are about to make their own fresh and exciting version. There could even be hip hop and R&B versions of our favorite Oliver songs? I mean, there's going to be hip hop right? I can't wait to hear and see what these two create. Disney producers Marc Platt and Jeff Kwatinetz are producing, so let's hope the whole team can get together and bring us some of that Disney magic we know and love. I'm practically already dancing at the idea.

While Disney's last version of Oliver Twist, the animated pet version called Oliver and Company, will stand in the annals of time as one of the single greatest interpretations of English literature, I'm sure Kail and Ice Cube can whip something up just as good. Even if there won't be adorable orange kittens. (Heck, maybe there will be adorable orange kittens. The Dickensonian world is their oyster.) Perhaps this version could be as noteworthy as the Oscar-winning 1968 film Oliver!, which was based on the original stage play. Kail already has one of the big awards, so who's to say he won't also get himself an Academy Award to add to his collection?

Both Ice Cube and Kail have been incredibly busy and successful with their projects, so it's no surprise this new version of Oliver got the green light. Ice Cube recently produced the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton as well as Ride Along 2 and Barbershop: The Next Cut, and starred in the latter two films. He'll reportedly be playing the role of Fagin in this upcoming adaptation of Dickens, because apparently this man just never sleeps. Meanwhile Kail was behind Lin-Manuel Miranda's other big project, In the Heights and Grease: Live! from Fox.

Bring on the orphaned, dancing and singing (and maybe rapping) young Oliver. I am so ready.