‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Adds ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’s Joe Johnston as Co-Director

It looks like Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is getting a little help from a Marvel alum.

Deadline is reporting that Joe Johnston has signed on as a co-director for the upcoming adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. According to their report, Johnston was asked to direct the film’s reshoots by original director Lasse Hallstrom, who was not able to oversee that portion of the film.

Johnston has accumulated a pretty varied filmography over the years, including The Rocketeer, Jumanji, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Of course, comic book fans will probably know him best from directing 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

“I watched an early cut of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and I saw something unique and fresh,” Johnston said in a statement. “When I was asked to direct the remaining elements, I saw an opportunity to complete Lasse’s wonderful and wildly inventive vision. I know we’ll both be proud of the end result.”

“It was an absolute blessing to have Joe Johnston step in when it became clear that I wouldn’t be available for reshoots,” Hallström added. “Joe is the ultimate expert in visual effects, and I enjoyed collaborating with him on this film.”

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms follows the story of a young girl named Clara (Mackenzie Foy), who searched for a unique key that will open a mysterious box given to her by her late mother. Clues take Clara to a parallel world where she discovers all kinds of wonderful and dangerous secrets, and ends up coming into contact with the whimsical Sugar Plum Fairy (Keira Knightley).

In addition to Foy and Knightley, the cast of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms includes Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer, Miranda Hart as Drew Drop Fairy, Misty Copeland as The Ballerina, and Jayden Fowara-Knight as Phillip.

What do you think of Johnston signing on to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms? Does it make you more excited to see the film? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is set to hit theaters on November 2.