Josh Gad Addresses ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ Casting Rumors

It’s no secret that social media is a double-edged sword, and that rumors can quickly spread even if they have no basis in fact. Disney Legend and Frozen icon Josh Gad has just gotten a taste of this phenomenon, as rumors of his casting in Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame live-action remake have gone viral!

Josh Gad wrote in a post on Instagram that the cast list for the famously-dark movie about Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Frollo (which was emblazoned on a very convincing, but fake, Hunchback of Notre Dame poster) “spread quickly” and that “for the record, this is not real”.

The fan’s version of the ideal Hunchback of Notre Dame cast included Josh Gad, Wonder Woman Gal Gadot (presumably as Esmeralda), Lightyear star Chris Evans (most likely as Phoebus), Peter Capaldi, Imelda Staunton, Kelsey Grammar, Jack Black, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

“This is a Fancast! I was just responding to it,” Gad explained. “Love that you guys all want this. We do to! The script is one of the best I have read and hopefully the powers that be will see this love and let us make the live action adaptation the original animated film deserves. But for now, again, this is just a fan cast!!!”

Dancing with the Stars host (and fellow Disney darling) Julianne Hough responded to the post, saying “oh.my.GAD!”

Disney Legend Josh Gad also made headlines recently when the beloved actor defended the casting of Halle Bailey as the lead mermaid Ariel in the new iteration of The Little Mermaid. Gad called the people who were making racist comments and harassing Bailey “pathetic.”

Even though the Frozen actor made it very clear in his post that this cast list is not real, many Instagram users do not seem to be listening. Gad is being inundated with messages of congratulations and questions about the remake.

Do you like the look of this cast list, even though it is not real (for the moment)?