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Disney’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service is going to be a prime hub for remakes, reboots and all manner of familiar IP, at least according to early buzz about its initial film and television slate.
Headed by OTT programming chief Agnes Chu, the as-yet-unnamed service — envisioned as a competitor to Netflix — will be a home for family-friendly fare including Marvel feature films and such TV series as a live-action Star Wars (with multiple variations already in the works, per CEO Bob Iger) and, sources tell THR, a reboot of The Muppets.
Disney acquired The Muppets Studio in 2004 and most recently attempted to revive Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and company on the small screen with a critically panned ABC comedy that was canceled after one season in 2016. A search for a writer for the new take is underway.
Also poised to be part of the TV slate, according to Iger, are reboots of star-maker High School Musical and a series based on Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. A TV version of The Mighty Ducks, from the trilogy’s original screenwriter, is also considered likely to land on the platform, sources say.
The Disney brand extension is expected to make a heavy push into film with an eye on Disney’s robust library of family titles. The Parent Trap (1998), Father of the Bride (1991) and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) are among the first projects on the table for potential film reboots, sources say.
Still to be determined, however, are the official launch date (sometime in fall 2019) and price point for the service, which is expected to bow domestically before expanding abroad.
Disney declined to comment.
This story first appeared in the Feb. 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
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