Disney’s next film version of Judith Viorst’s beloved children’s novel Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day promises to be another thrilling adventure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will include George Lopez (The George Lopez Show) and Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives). This new version will have a Latino theme and will tell the story of a “Mexican-American family who has just lost their connection to one other and their heritage, as they embark on an epic road trip that quickly goes comically wrong.”
The matriarch of the family and mother of Longoria’s Alexander character will be the family matriarch. She’s been dubbed a “waning travel writer.” In contrast, Lopez will play the family patriarch, a rough yet lovable biker grandfather. The first Disney film adaptation of the novel was released in 2014 and starred Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, and Ed Oxenbould as the protagonist, a man who has a terrible day and wishes it onto his family when they dismiss his concerns and show no compassion.
Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Lisa Henson, who produced that version, will also oversee the production of the current remake. Since adding filmmaking to her resume, Longoria has had a hectic schedule. Just recently, she finished her first directing project, Flamin’ Hot, a biopic about Richard Montanez, a janitor at Frito-Lay. Land of Women, an AppleTV+ adaptation of Sandra Barneda’s bestselling novel, will be her next on-screen appearance. Lopez, a comedy legend, has just finished filming the thriller Afterward and is presently in production on Blue Beetle, a cinematic adaptation of the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle.
Marvin Lemus, co-creator and showrunner of the Netflix drama Gentefied, will helm Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Like the new adaptation, Gentefied is a Latino-centric family comedy-drama, following the exploits of three Mexican-American cousins as they pursue the American dream at the expense of their neighbourhood and family business. The script was written by Matt Lopez, well known for his work on Father of the Bride and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Additionally, Dan Cohen, who has directed many Netflix originals, is on board as a producer. He has now been announced as the director of Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. It will be executive produced by Emily Morris and Blanca Lista.
The Disney+ movie will begin filming in New Mexico this spring.