The thought of David Mamet remaking The Diary of Anne Frank for Disney was pretty strange in the first place. Now, it’s proven itself strange enough for Disney to can the idea. Disney execs were so taken aback by Mamet’s plans for the production that his Anne Frank won’t be hanging out with Mickey anytime soon.
One Disney executive called Mamet’s project “very intense, and dark and scary.” According to The Wrap, that executive also added “It's not a film version of 'The Diary of Anne Frank.' The story evolved into something more intense.” Rather than being the film Disney expected, Mamet came up with an examination of modern anti-Semitism using the story of a young Jewish girl who travels to Israel and discovers the traumatizing effects of suicide bombing.
It’s obvious why Disney rejected Mamet’s idea, but this question still remains; why would Disney hire Mamet to write and direct the project in the first place? Sure the whole Dick Cook issue may make Disney hesitant to give the green light to anything that isn’t a guarantee, but this project was covered with red flags even when Disney was standing tall. A studio known for child-friendly films hiring a guy with a reputation for vulgarity makes no sense. I was eleven when I was taken to see Wag the Dog and let me tell you; I was not a happy camper in that theater.
