Disney+ Developing Live-Action ‘Casper’ Series in New Adaptation Plans

A new live-action series based on Casper the Friendly Ghost is now in early development at Disney+, according to reporting from Deadline.

The project came out on top after a strong bidding battle involving multiple studios. It is still in very early stages, but it already has big names attached. Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston are leading the creative side as writers, and Letterman is also expected to direct. Both of them have worked on the Disney+ series Goosebumps before, which also had a supernatural theme. Steven Spielberg is also involved as an executive producer. He previously worked on the 1995 Casper movie.

The new series is described as a modern version of the classic ghost story. There are no full story details yet, but it is said to have a darker tone compared to earlier versions of Casper. The idea is similar in style to shows like Wednesday, which gave a more serious and edgy spin to older characters.

The show is being developed with UCP, which is part of Universal Studio Group. That connection comes from the long history of Casper rights moving through different companies over the years.

Casper himself is a very old character. He first appeared in animated shorts made between 1945 and 1959. Later, he became part of Harvey Comics, which helped expand his popularity through comic books and TV shows. In 1995, Casper also got a live-action film version produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. That movie starred Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman, with CGI used for the ghost character.

Over time, the rights to Casper changed hands multiple times. Classic Media, DreamWorks Animation, and later NBCUniversal all became part of the chain that now connects to the current project. Because of this, the new Disney+ series is a joint effort involving different studio divisions.

If the show moves forward to full production, it would also mark the first time Universal Studio Group has a series on Disney+. This is seen as a big move, since studios often aim to spread their shows across multiple streaming platforms.

The plan also includes CGI effects, similar to how Casper was shown in the 1995 movie. That means the ghost character would likely be created digitally again, interacting with real actors.

There was also an earlier attempt to develop a Casper live-action series for Peacock in 2022, but that version never moved forward.

Rob Letterman has experience in similar projects. He worked on Goosebumps and also directed films like Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. Hilary Winston has worked on several comedy and animation projects, including Community and The Lego Ninjago Movie. Both are currently active in TV production.

According to Deadline, Disney+ is still in the early development phase, so no release date or cast has been announced yet.

This new Casper series shows how older characters are being reintroduced for modern streaming audiences, often with a new tone and updated style.

This is an interesting move because Casper is usually seen as a light and friendly character, so a darker version could either refresh the story or change it too much depending on how it is handled. It will be important to see if the balance between nostalgia and new ideas works. What do you think about a darker Casper series on Disney+? Share your thoughts in the comments.