'The King and I': Classic musical set for 'diverse' remake at Paramount

The Rodgers and Hammerstein hit is being rebooted more than 60 years after the original first hit cinemas

Deborah Kerr, centre in blue, and Yul Brynner, left, in 1956's 'The King and I'. Getty Images

The King and I will soon be getting to know a whole new generation of viewers.

The musical is getting a modern-day remake at Paramount, the studio confirmed on Saturday, more than 60 years after the original first hit cinemas.

The 1956 Rodgers and Hammerstein Tony Award winner tells the story of Anna Leonowens, who became the private tutor to the children of King Mongkut of Siam – now Thailand – in the early 1860s.

The film was itself an adaptation of the stage musical, which debuted in 1951, based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon.

The semi-fictionalised novel was, in turn, inspired by the memoirs of Leonowens, who wrote two books based on her five years living at court: The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870) and Romance of the Harem (1872).

The 1956 film, which starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr as the monarch and Leonowens, scored nine Academy Awards, including a Best Actor trophy for Russian-American Brynner.

According to Deadline, the remake will "reimagine this classic story with a contemporary perspective that explores diversity and the contrasting world views of the characters by drawing from real history".

The film has drawn criticism in recent years for casting a non-Asian actor as the King of Siam, with no Thai actors among the wider cast, as well as problematic and racist depictions of the country.

The King and I has also been accused of promoting colonialism and gender inequality.

The film, which features songs including I Whistle a Happy Tune and Shall We Dance, is banned in Thailand owing to the film's representation of King Mongkut. The country has a strict lese-majeste law, which forbids the insult or defamation of Thailand's monarchy.

The East meets West tale also formed the basis of 1999's animation The King and I, as well as live-action 1999 film Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster as Leonowens.

No details about casting or a release date was given by Paramount.