Disney+ wins bidding war for Casper live-action series with Steven Spielberg producing. The new live-action series is based on Casper the Friendly Ghost after winning a competitive five-way bidding war.
Steven Spielberg, who served as an executive producer on the beloved 1995 Casper movie starring Christina Ricci, will return in the same role for this new Disney+ project. The series comes from Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, the team behind Disney+’s supernatural hit Goosebumps. Letterman will write, executive produce, and direct, while Winston will write and executive produce alongside him.
Casper Live-Action Series Takes a Darker Tone Like Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’
Unlike the cheerful animated shorts from the 1940s and 1950s or the family-friendly 1995 film, this new version is described as a “modern update” on the classic ghost story that will have a “dark edge.” Reports suggest the show’s tone will follow the blueprint of Netflix’s Wednesday, which successfully reimagined The Addams Family franchise with a darker, mystery-driven approach.
The Wednesday comparison makes sense. That show became one of Netflix’s biggest hits, proving audiences enjoy darker takes on classic characters. Disney+ now hopes to capture similar magic by giving Casper a moodier, edgier treatment.
The project is currently in early development, and no casting decisions or plot details have been announced. The series will use CGI effects to bring the translucent ghost to life, similar to how the 1995 movie blended live-action with digital animation.
Steven Spielberg Returns to the Haunted World
Spielberg’s involvement connects this new series directly to the 1995 film that introduced Casper to a new generation. That movie starred Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, and featured Malachi Pearson as the voice of Casper. It became a commercial success and remains a nostalgic favorite for many who grew up in the 1990s.
Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment co-produced the original film. Now, through his executive producer role on this Disney+ series, he helps guide the character into a new era.
The series is a co-production between DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group. If it moves forward, this will mark Universal Studio Group’s first show on Disney+.
Failed Peacock Series Paved the Way
This is not the first attempt to bring Casper back to television. In 2022, a different live-action series was in development for Peacock from writer Kai Yu Wu. That version was described as a “coming-of-age story” exploring what it means to be alive, with Casper getting entangled in a mystery involving dark secrets buried for over a century. That project ultimately did not move forward.
A Brief History of the Friendly Ghost
Casper first appeared as an animated character in 1945 through Famous Studios theatrical cartoons. Between 1945 and 1959, the friendly ghost appeared in 55 short films. Harvey Comics began publishing Casper comic books in 1952 and purchased the character outright in 1959, making him one of the company’s most popular figures.
Over the decades, Casper headlined five animated television series before the 1995 live-action movie brought him to theaters worldwide. Classic Media acquired Harvey Entertainment in 2001. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation bought Classic Media, and NBCUniversal (parent company of Universal Pictures) acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016.
That ownership chain explains why Disney+ had to win a bidding war for the rights. Universal owns the character, and this series represents a rare case where Disney+ will host a show based on IP not owned by Disney.
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Will Christina Ricci Appear in Casper Live-Action Series
Fans on social media have already started asking whether Christina Ricci might appear in the series. Ricci starred as Kat Harvey in the 1995 film and later played Marilyn Thornhill in Wednesday. She has shown willingness to revisit old roles in new contexts, but no casting announcements have been made for this Casper series.
For now, the project remains in early development. Release dates, casting, and specific plot details have not been revealed. If the series moves forward, it will join Disney+’s growing library of supernatural content alongside Goosebumps and other genre offerings.
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