Ryan Coogler Is Developing an Animorphs TV Adaptation for Disney Plus
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Ryan Coogler is executive producing an Animorphs TV adaptation for Disney Plus, bringing K. A. Applegate's dark nineties sci-fi series to modern streaming with writer Bayan Wolcott.
Millennial and Gen Z gamers who grew up reading Scholastic book series are about to see a major nostalgia trip hit the screen. According to a recent report by Variety, filmmaker Ryan Coogler is executive producing a brand new television adaptation of K. A. Applegate's classic sci-fi series Animorphs, which is currently in early development at Disney Plus. Bayan Wolcott, known for writing on Hulu's upcoming dystopian series The Testaments, is attached to write and executive produce the project alongside Coogler, who is also working on a reboot of The X-Files.
For those who missed the phenomenon in the late nineties and early noughties, Animorphs followed a group of teenagers who receive the power to transform into any animal they touch from a dying alien. They use these shape-shifting abilities to fight a secret invasion of mind-controlling alien slugs called Yeerks. Despite being marketed as young adult fiction, the original book run did not shy away from heavy themes like the psychological toll of war, the high cost of resistance, and genuinely unsettling body horror.
This new iteration has massive potential simply because modern visual effects can finally do the source material justice. The late nineties Nickelodeon adaptation struggled immensely with television budgets and primitive CGI, meaning the iconic animal transformations often looked rough around the edges. With streaming era production values, a creative team that respects the dark and complex narrative tone, and an audience that loves deep sci-fi world-building, this could easily translate into the prestige adaptation fans have waited decades to see.
Tags: Animorphs, Disney Plus, Ryan Coogler, Television, Sci-Fi
Original article: Polygon