1 month ago
EXCLUSIVE: Zero, meet Casper. In a very competitory business involving a five-way bidding war, Disney+ has landed a caller bid return connected Casper nan Friendly Ghost. The live-action task comes from Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, executive producers of different Disney+ supernatural series, Goosebumps; Steven Spielberg, who executive produced nan 1995 Universal movie Casper starring Christina Ricci; and UCP, a section of Universal Studio Group.
There are nary specifications yet astir nan caller Casper, described arsenic a modern update connected nan classical shade story, which is successful nan early stages of development. It is believed to person a acheronian separator to it nan measurement Wednesday tackles nan Addams Family lore.
Letterman and Winston are writing, pinch Letterman group to direct. The duo are executive producing pinch Spielberg.
Casper originated arsenic an affable translucent shade featured successful a drawstring of animated movies by Famous Studios released betwixt 1945 and 1959. That’s when nan characteristic was acquired by Harvey Comics, which had published Casper comics since 1952. Since then, Casper has headlined a slew of comic books, 5 animated TV bid arsenic good arsenic Universal Pictures’ 1995 live-action feature Casper, produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and The Harvey Entertainment Co.
In 2001, Harvey Entertainment was acquired by Classic Media. In 2012, Classic Media was bought by DreamWorks Animation, which successful move was acquired by Universal Pictures genitor NBCUniversal successful 2016, explaining why nan imaginable Disney+ bid is simply a co-production betwixt DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.
Like was nan lawsuit successful nan 1995 Casper movie, which starred Ricci, Bill Pullman arsenic good arsenic Malachi Pearson arsenic nan sound of nan title character, nan caller live-action series is expected to characteristic CGI effects.
If Casper, which has a premium improvement deal, goes to series, it will beryllium Universal Studio Group’s first connected Disney+. I perceive that was a information erstwhile choosing nan victor successful nan bidding warfare arsenic having shows connected each awesome streamers has been a extremity for nan studio. USG’s Universal TV has respective bid connected Netflix, including A Man On nan Inside, Four Seasons arsenic good arsenic caller aesculapian drama Lovesick starring Claire Danes, which just landed location pinch a straight-to-series order, besides successful a competitory situation.
On Prime Video, nan workplace has We Were Liars, astatine Apple TV nan upcoming Cape Fear, at HBO Max Hacks and The Gilded Age. At Hulu, UCP precocious produced Murdaugh: Death successful nan Family, and Universal TV just sold for development bodyguard play Close Protection.
In 2022, UCP set up for development astatine related streamer Peacock a different Casper live-action series, written/executive produced by The Ghost Bride caput writer Kai Yu Wu, which yet did not spell forward.
This is simply a uncommon Disney+ bid task based connected celebrated IP that is not from wrong nan Disney ecosystem aliases derived from books. If Casper goes to series, nan characteristic will co-exist connected nan level alongside celebrated Disney shade characters, including The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ canine Zero.
Letterman developed nan 2023 Goosebumps, based connected nan book bid by R. L. Stine, pinch Nicholas Stoller. Letterman, who had directed nan 1995 Goosebumps feature, was an executive producer/director and Winston an executive producer/showrunner connected nan series, which ran connected Disney+ and Hulu for 2 seasons. Letterman’s characteristic credits see Monsters vs. Aliens and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, which he co-wrote and directed. He is repped by UTA.
Winston serves arsenic an executive shaper and co-showrunner connected nan existent 2nd play of Fox’s drama bid Going Dutch. Her writing-producing credits besides see Krapopolis, Community, Happy Endings, My Name is Earl and good arsenic CBS’ Bad Teacher, which she developed. Her characteristic penning credits include The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Bad Guys. Winston is repped by UTA, Rise Management and Yorn Levine Barnes.
