While many might dream of being a cat, for Disney, bringing “The Aristocats” to life in a live-action format is no longer a priority. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who was to direct the remake, has confirmed that the project has been placed on the back burner.

“A new administration came in, and then I was like, ‘Okay, well, this is what I plan to do … here’s some of the music examples, and there’s some team I’m working with,'” Thompson shared on Score: The Podcast. “And then they had another administration shuffle, and it was like, ‘Okay, well. All right.’ And by the third time I was just like, ‘Maybe this isn’t meant for me, because there’s also, at least, like right now, there’s so much options I have.” Essentially, changes in leadership and executive decisions have halted the film’s progress.

The 1970 classic follows Duchess and her kittens – Berlioz, Marie, and Toulouse – whose owner, the opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, intends to bequeath her fortune and estate to them, which will revert to her faithful butler Edgar after the cats’ demise. Fearing he’ll never receive the inheritance, Edgar devises a plan to get rid of the cats. However, his plot goes awry, and the feline family ends up stranded in the countryside, where they are aided by a tomcat named J. Thomas O’Malley. While “The Aristocats” holds a cherished place in Disney history, some aspects have not aged well, leading Disney to include a content advisory. The company has long faced challenges adapting their animated animal tales into successful live-action movies.

Disney’s track record with live-action adaptations has been inconsistent; some, like “Lilo and Stitch,” rake in billions, while others, such as “Snow White,” fail to make a mark and quickly fade away. Animal-centric stories have particularly struggled in the transition to live-action.

Adaptations of “The Jungle Book” and “The Lion King,” along with its prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King,” have been box office successes. Yet, both faced criticism for using ultra-realistic animation that, according to reviewers, lacked the charm and expressiveness of the original animated classics, not fully showcasing the talents of their distinguished voice cast.

Recent performances of these remakes mostly suggest setbacks. “Dumbo” was met with poor reception from both audiences and critics, while “Lady and the Tramp” debuted on streaming in 2019 to lukewarm feedback. Perhaps it’s for the best that an “Aristocats” remake remains shelved, sparing it from fading away amidst similar efforts.