New The King and I Movie Musical in the Works 65 Years After Original Opened

The King and I will dance into theaters once again.

The 1965 classic musical film is getting a remake at Paramount Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The musical was adapted from the 1944 semi-fictionalized biography Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon, which is based on true events that happened in the 1860s.

The story followed Anna Leonowens, a widow with two children, who was invited to Siam (now Thailand) by King Mongkut to teach his kids and wives English.

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Anna and the King of Siam was adapted first into a film in 1946, and then into a stage musical in 1951 which starred Yul Brynner. His performance in the role earned him a Tony Award. 

Brynner went on to portray the King in the 1956 musical film opposite Deborah Kerr. The film was nominated for nine Oscars and won five, including an Oscar for Best Actor for Brynner. 

The King and I is best known for its musical numbers such as "Getting to Know You," "Something Wonderful," and "Shall We Dance?" 

Despite its success, the musical was banned in Thailand and remains banned to this day due to its representation of King Mongkut of Siam.

The ban is based on a 1930 censorship law that prohibits filmmakers from portraying Thailand's monarchy in a disrespectful way, according to The Guardian. 

A 1972 TV series was later adapted, as well as an animated musical in 1999. Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat starred in a 1999 live-action film titled Anna and the King. Foster's version was also banned in Thailand.

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