Modern-Day 'Black Beauty' Adaptation Starring Mackenzie Foy And Kate Winslet Is Coming To Disney+

Disney+ has picked up Black Beauty, the latest adaptation of the beloved children's book starring Mackenzie Foy and Kate Winslet. The already-completed film, which puts a contemporary twist on the 19th century novel of a wild horse captured by humans, will premiere on Disney+ later this year.

Disney+ announced that it has picked up the contemporary adaptation of Anna Sewell's classic 1877 novel Black Beauty, which will premiere on streaming service in late 2020.

Directed and written by Ashley Avis (Adolescence), Black Beauty stars Kate Winslet as the voice of Black Beauty, a wild mustang who is captured and forms a bond with teenager Jo Green (Mackenzie Foy). The film is the latest in a long line of Black Beauty adaptations, but adds a contemporary twist to the story, which is set in modern day. The film also stars Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) as John Manly and Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black) as Mrs. Winthorp.

Here is the synopsis for Black Beauty per Disney+:

Black Beauty is a wild mustang born free in the American west. When she is captured and taken away from family, her story intertwines with that of 17-year old Jo Green, similarly grieving over the loss of her parents. The two slowly develop a bond that is built on love, respect and mutual healing.

Disney+ may have put the cart before the horse when it launched in November with only a handful of new original titles, which it rolled out slowly in the following months, and only one major hit with The Mandalorian. So it's no wonder that the streamer is expanding its library of feature films with a family-friendly feature. Disney+ has one of the most impressive back catalogs of the new streaming services (surpassed only by HBO Max), but it is lacking in new content to debut each month. Black Beauty, which comes from Constantin Film and JB Pictures and was shot last year in South Africa, is a fitting film for the streamer to pick up: a cast that appeals to young audiences (Foy was the star of Disney's big-budget The Nutcracker and the Four Realms) and a classic children's story that stands the test of time. It helps that the horse is real and not CGI too.

Black Beauty marks the second feature acquisition for Disney+ after Clouds, an inspirational teen drama that the streamer picked up from Warner Bros. back in May. The musical drama starring newcomer Fin Argus, former Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter is also set to premiere later this year.Black Beauty is produced by JB Pictures' Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer from Constantin Film, with Martin Moszkowicz, Edward Winters and Jon Brown executive producing. Dylan Tarason is a co-producer, and Moonlighting Films president Genevieve Hofmeyr is the South African producer.