Disney+ Moves Ahead With Live-Action ‘Casper’ Series After Bidding War Win

Disney+ is moving forward with a live-action series based on Casper the Friendly Ghost, according to reporting from Deadline. The project was picked up after a strong five-way bidding competition between studios.

The series is still in early development, but it already has a well-known creative team attached. Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston are writing the project, with Letterman also set to direct. Both are also executive producers on Disney+’s Goosebumps series. Steven Spielberg is also involved as an executive producer, returning to the Casper world after working on the 1995 Casper film. The project is being developed together with UCP, part of Universal Studio Group.

At this stage, story details are very limited. The new version of Casper is being described as a modern take on the original ghost character. Reports say it may have a darker tone compared to earlier versions, similar in style to how Wednesday reworked The Addams Family for a new audience.

Casper has a long history in film and television. The character first appeared in animated shorts in the 1940s and 1950s. Later, Casper became a major part of Harvey Comics, which expanded the character into comic books and TV series. A live-action version was released in 1995, produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. That film used CGI for Casper and starred Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman.

Over the years, the rights to Casper have moved through several companies, including Classic Media, DreamWorks Animation, and later NBCUniversal after its acquisition. This long chain of ownership is part of why the new Disney+ project involves multiple studios working together, including DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.

If the series moves ahead, it would also be the first time a Universal Studio Group project lands on Disney+. That move is seen as part of a wider strategy by studios to place content across all major streaming platforms.

The project also continues a trend of using CGI for Casper, similar to how the character was brought to life in the 1995 film. No cast or release date has been announced yet.

There was also a separate attempt to develop a Casper series for Peacock in 2022, but that version did not move forward.

Rob Letterman is known for directing and producing projects like Goosebumps and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. Hilary Winston has worked across comedy and animation, including Community and The Lego Ninjago Movie.

Since the series is still early in development, many details could still change.

This is a smart idea because Casper is a familiar character for many audiences, but the success will depend on how well the darker tone is handled without losing the character’s original charm. It will be interesting to see if this version connects with both older fans and new viewers. What do you think about a live-action Casper series on Disney+? Share your thoughts in the comments.