Disney is hoping to bring its theme parks to life in a brand new way with a project reportedly in the works at Disney+. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the man behind 2004’s Battlestar Galactica reboot and For All Mankind, Ron Moore, is developing a Magic Kingdom franchise for the streaming service.
The first project in the works as part of the so-called Magic Kingdom Universe is The Society of Explorers and Adventurers, a fictional organization developed as part of the mythology of Disney’s parks around the world. SEA was first created for Japan’s Tokyo DisneySea to give a richer backstory to certain attractions. However, nods to the group of characters can now be found at a variety of Disney parks, as well as on the cruise line.
Per THR, the series would explore certain Disney parks characters and be set in a reality where the various themed lands of the parks–and the people in them–are real. Sort of like Tomorrowland, but with less George Clooney and more of a connection to the actual Tomorrowland.
It’s unclear whether new characters would be created for the SEA series or if figures like Harrison Hightower III, Captain Mary Oceaneer, and the rest of the SEA organization that die-hard Disney fans love will be featured. However, THR notes that a small writers room has been assembled while the search for three senior-level writers to work on the project is ongoing. Disney’s Imagineering team is also being consulted, which makes sense–they created SEA and nobody knows the parks better.
Moore will serve as a writer and executive producer on the project. What’s more, if the show is successful, he would be able to further expand the franchise, overseeing additional projects under the Magic Kingdom universe. Working with him on the project are his longtime collaborators, Maril Davis and Ben McGinnis.
That’s not Moore’s only Disney-related project in the works. It was previously announced he’s working on an adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson for Disney+ with Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). No release dates have been announced for any of these projects.