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Ice Cube to play Fagin in Disney's planned Oliver Twist movie

Cube... set to play Fagin - Credit: Getty
Cube… set to play Fagin – Credit: Getty

Ice Cube is being lined up to play the role of Fagin in a new version of Charles Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’ coming from Disney.

The movie will be a ‘contemporary’ remake of the source material, according to reports, with Thomas Kail in the director’s chair, the helmsman of his Broadway show ‘Hamilton’.

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Former NWA star Cube is also producing the project and is writing the movie’s treatment with co-producer Jeff Kwatinetz.

Ron Moody, as Fagin, writing in book in publicity portrait for the film 'Oliver!', 1968. (Photo by Columbia/Getty Images)
(Credit: Columbia/Getty Images)

It’s said that it will put a contemporary, hip-hop-influenced spin on the musical version of the story, the Oscar-winning ‘Oliver!’, with its memorable songs ‘Food, Glorious Food’ and ‘Consider Yourself’, written by Lionel Bart.

Dickens’ original tale was first published in 1837 as a serial, introducing orphan boy Oliver, and his introduction into a group of pickpockets led by ageing criminal Fagin.

In ‘Oliver!’, directed by Carol Reed and released in 1968, Ron Moody took on the memorable role of Fagin, with Mark Lester as Oliver, Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, Shani Wallis as Nancy, and Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger.