Animorphs is well on its way to returning to the small screen, and Ryan Coogler is on board as an executive producer.
The Scholastic-published book franchise from writers Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant, spanning 54 main series entries, is in development at Disney+. Variety was first to report the news on Friday (April 3), adding that Bayan Wolcott (The Testaments) has been tapped to serve as writer and executive producer.
When reached for comment by Complex, a Disney rep provided an official logline for the project:
“Animorphs follows a group of teenagers who uncover a hidden threat lurking beneath their everyday lives, all while juggling relationships, curfews, and the chaos of high school.”
Executive-producing alongside Coogler under the Proximity Media banner is his wife and creative partner, Zinzi, as well as Sev Ohanian.
Additional EPs include Iole Lucchese and Caitlin Friedman for Scholastic, while Simone Harris and Dezi Gallegos—Proximity Media’s VP and head of TV and Director of Development of TV, respectively—“will also oversee the project,” per Disney reps.
For those unfamiliar, Animorphs stories center on teens with the ability to morph into any animal, merely by touch. Aliens are also in the mix, making this project a nice complement to Coogler’s upcoming X-Files revival.
Past Proximity Media-backed titles include 2021’s Oscar-winning Judas and the Black Messiah, the Space Jam sequel starring LeBron James from that same year, 2023’s Creed III, and more.
Sinners, Coogler’s most recent film as a director, netted a record-breaking amount of Oscar nominations this year, ultimately bringing home four wins. Among them was Best Actor in a Leading Role for star Michael B. Jordan, who played twins in the film.
