Overview
- TheWrap reported Thursday that Disney has the project in early development and has hired writers Lily Houghton and Ryan Koehn to develop a script using Paul Bernbaum’s characters.
- No plot, casting, release date or formal production greenlight has been announced, so the project remains at an early stage of development.
- The franchise’s four existing films have logged roughly 160 million hours on Disney+, a performance cited by coverage as a likely reason Disney is revisiting the property.
- Casting raises practical questions: Debbie Reynolds, who played Aggie, died in 2016 and cannot return, and the lead role of Marnie was played by two different actresses in past films, though some original cast members have said they would be open to returning.
- The move fits a broader Disney strategy of using nostalgic TV-era franchises for Disney Channel and Disney+ releases and could lead to a streaming-first sequel similar to other legacy revivals.