Walt Disney Television Chairman of Entertainment Dana Walden revealed a Beauty and the Beast prequel is in the works as well as a series based on Rick Riordan’s bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians books. Walden shared details on what’s in store for Disney+ during the 2020 The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day event held on December 10th.
“We have an expansive slate of family entertainment in the pipeline, from comedies to epic dramas, shows that speak to a global audience, executed by great creators – people who know how to produce big hits,” stated Walden. “A number are based on beloved titles and iconic IP from the Disney library. These titles are trusted by families, passed down through generations and it’s a creator’s dream to have access to them. This gives us a real competitive edge.”
Additional Disney Television Studios productions coming to Disney+ include an adaptation of the classic Swiss Family Robinson tale, a Mighty Ducks series, and a show based on the Tom Hanks film, Turner & Hooch.
The following descriptions were provided by Disney Television Studios:
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers: Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Parenthood) and Emilio Estevez (reprising his role from the original feature films) star in the next chapter of the hit Mighty Ducks franchise, premiering in early 2021. In present day Minnesota, the Mighty Ducks have evolved from scrappy underdogs to an ultra-competitive, powerhouse youth hockey team. After 12-year-old Evan is unceremoniously cut from the Ducks, he and his mom Alex set out to build their own ragtag team of misfits to challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of competitive youth sports.
Big Shot: The series follows a temperamental college basketball coach who gets fired from his job and must take a teaching and coaching job at an elite all-girls private high school. Big Shot stars John Stamos and an ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors alongside Yvette Nicole Brown.
The Mysterious Benedict Society: Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way. Based on the bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart which Time Magazine called “one of the best young adult books of all time,” the series stars Emmy Award winner Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development) in the titular role and features a standout ensemble of young actors.
Turner & Hooch: When an ambitious, buttoned-up US Marshall inherits a big unruly dog, he soon realizes the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Josh Peck stars as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed in the original 1989 film by Tom Hanks.
Beauty and the Beast (working title): Starring Luke Evans and Josh Gad in the roles they made famous in the hit live-action feature film, the music, romance, comedy and adventure of the Beauty and the Beast universe continues in this prequel that explores the kingdom in the years before the Beast and Belle’s epic romance. We will witness the destinies of many familiar characters take shape as they cross paths with new characters — including an unconventional and modern take on the traditional “Disney Princess” – as they experience their own exciting epic adventures and romances, all set to an original soundtrack from Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken.
Swiss Family Robinson: From creators Ron Moore (Outlander) and Jon Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), Swiss Family Robinson is a modern reimagining of the classic Disney film about a family shipwrecked on a desert island.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: This new series explores the epic adventures of a modern-day demigod, based on the bestselling book series by Rick Riordan from Disney Publishing Worldwide, with over one hundred million copies of his books now in print.
This just in from Mount Olympus: A FIRST LOOK at the logo for PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS on @disneyplus!! pic.twitter.com/ZeBQChkN7o
— Rick Riordan (@rickriordan) December 11, 2020
