New Live-Action Casper Series Coming to Disney+, Created by a Talented Team Including Rob Letterman and Steven Spielberg
Disney+ Acquires New Series Based on Casper the Friendly Ghost
In an exciting development for fans of classic characters, Disney+ has secured a live-action series adaptation of Casper the Friendly Ghost amid a competitive five-way bidding war.
The project, which is still in early development, comes from Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, known for their work on the Disney+ series Goosebumps. They will be joined by Steven Spielberg, who was an executive producer on the 1995 Universal film Casper, as well as UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group. The new series is described as a modern take on the iconic ghost story, potentially incorporating a darker tone similar to Netflix’s Wednesday.
Letterman will also direct the series, with both he and Winston serving as executive producers alongside Spielberg.
Casper originated as a friendly, translucent ghost featured in a series of animated movies produced by Famous Studios from 1945 to 1959. The character was later acquired by Harvey Comics, which began publishing Casper comics in 1952. Over the years, Casper has appeared in numerous comic books, five animated television series, and the 1995 live-action movie produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and The Harvey Entertainment Co.
The trajectory of Casper’s ownership has shifted significantly: Harvey Entertainment was acquired by Classic Media in 2001, which was then bought by DreamWorks Animation in 2012. This entity subsequently became part of NBCUniversal in 2016, highlighting the collaborative nature of the upcoming Disney+ series, which will be co-produced by DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.
The new series is expected to utilize CGI effects, similar to those seen in the 1995 film featuring actors Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman, as well as the voice of Malachi Pearson as Casper.
Should the series move forward, it will mark Universal Studio Group’s first project on Disney+. This ambition aligns with the studio’s strategy of having content featured across all major streaming platforms. Currently, Universal Television has several productions on Netflix, including A Man on the Inside, as well as the recently greenlit medical drama Lovesick, starring Claire Danes.
In addition to Disney+, Universal holds partnerships with various platforms, including Prime Video’s We Were Liars and HBO Max’s Hacks and The Gilded Age. UCP has also produced Murdaugh: Death in the Family for Hulu.
In 2022, UCP attempted to develop a different Casper live-action series for Peacock, which ultimately did not proceed. This new Disney+ adaptation stands out as it is based on a well-known intellectual property not directly rooted in the Disney ecosystem or originating from literature. Should this series come to fruition, Casper will share the platform with other beloved Disney ghost characters, including Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Rob Letterman recently developed the 2023 Goosebumps series with Nicholas Stoller, building on his previous experience directing the 1995 Goosebumps film. He has an extensive career, with credits that include Monsters vs. Aliens and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. Letterman is represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, and attorney Eric Sherman.
Hilary Winston is currently an executive producer and co-showrunner for the second season of Fox’s Going Dutch. Her writing and producing portfolio features titles such as Krapopolis, Community, and Happy Endings, along with scriptwriting for The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Bad Guys. Winston is represented by UTA, Rise Management, and Yorn Levine Barnes.
