Lasse Hallstrom, Joe Johnston to share directing credit on Disney's 'Nutcracker'

In a first, Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston will be sharing the directing credit for the Disney film "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms".

Hallstrom, best known for film such as "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", "Cider House Rules" and "A Dog's Purpose", is the original the director of the film.

However, Johnston, who has an extensive experience in visual effects, having directed films like "Jurassic Park III" and "Captain America: The First Avenger", was hired by the studio for some re-shoots after the unavailability of Hallstrom.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two directors will be listed on the same title card for the film.

Hallstrom had offered to share the "directed by" credit with Johnson, who accepted.

The film stars Keira Knightley and Mackenzie Foy in the lead. Other cast members include Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant and Jack Whitehall.

The story follows Clara (Foy), who finds herself in a strange and mysterious parallel world that is home to Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. She must brave the ominous Fourth Realm and its ruling tyrant, Mother Ginger (Mirren), to return harmony to the unstable world.

The film is based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker.

It is scheduled to release on November 2 this year.