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In exciting news for fans of 1990s literature, the iconic sci-fi series “Animorphs” is set to be adapted into a streaming series on Disney+. The project is in its early stages, with acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler, known for his Oscar-winning work, serving as executive producer. This development was initially reported by Variety on Friday.
The upcoming series will draw from the popular “Animorphs” books, a creation of Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant. Spanning 54 books from 1996 to 2001, the series captivated audiences with its thrilling narrative, starting with “The Invasion” and wrapping up with “The Beginning.” Over its run, the franchise sold over 35 million copies globally.
The storyline revolves around a group of teenagers who encounter a dying alien. They learn that Earth is in danger of being overtaken by a species of parasitic aliens known as Yeerks. The alien bestows upon them the ability to morph into any animal they touch, a power they harness to fight back against the extraterrestrial threat.
Katherine Applegate took to social media to express her cautious optimism about the adaptation, sharing the excitement with fans who have cherished the series for decades.
Applegate shared the news on social media with cautious optimism.
“Michael Grant and I have concerns that the project is under-resourced. But one of the producers, Sev Ohanian, is a friend, as well as a genuine Animorphs fan,” she wrote. “If anyone can make it work, he can. Fingers crossed.”
The adaptation marks the latest high-profile project for Coogler and Proximity Media under their existing deal with Disney, under which Coogler is working on a pilot for a reboot of “The X-Files” starring Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel. He’s also fresh off Oscar wins for his hit film “Sinners,” which won four Academy Awards, with Coogler taking home the award for best original screenplay.
Should it move forward, this would be the second “Animorphs” TV series to make it to air. A live-action series aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons between 1998 and 2000. There was also a previously announced attempt to develop an “Animorphs” film in 2020 that never moved forward.
In a 2016 interview, Applegate reflected on the books’ lasting appeal, saying that she and Grant “were clearly not talking down” to young readers.
“We used the premise to talk about big things with kids, and we think they appreciated that,” she said. “And then we’d have a fight between an alien and a kid-turned-tiger, and seriously, how is that not cool?”
No casting or premiere date has been announced.