The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame is coming to TV. Victor Hugo’s character—whose story Disney previously retold through song—is set to be reimagined by Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé as a TV series titled Ugly. According to Coming Soon, Ugly will take great liberties with the source material. The novel’s 15th-century setting will be updated to the 18th century, while Quasimodo will receive a brand-new name—“Ugly”—and backstory. Instead of being raised by the malevolent church, Ugly is raised by an eccentric group of traveling actors who take him in once his noble birthmother rejects him (and purchases a new baby from a peasant woman).
Joffé will write and presumably direct the series, which has yet to find a broadcast home. According to Joffé, “Though physical beauty may encourage the continued expansion of the population at large, it may only be inner beauty that guarantees its continued and continuing existence. In our story, Ugly is beautiful and much of what passes for beauty is ugly. Such is life, and life and love, cruelty and compassion, morals and money, are the subjects of our story.” Lovable and impaired central characters, false heirs, eclectic characters, and complex themes? Sounds like the French-set Game Of Thrones we didn’t know we were missing.