#Disney+’s Spooked Movie Is Turning Trick or Treaters Into Their Halloween Costumes

Disney is getting into the Halloween movie business. It has been revealed that the streaming service is making a new original movie titled Spooked. This will be an original production specifically for Disney that is described as a “supernatural comedy.” For the time being, many details are being kept under wraps but this could serve as a hefty dose of nostalgia for those who grew up watching Halloween movies on the Disney Channel.

According to a new report, Disney has set Peter Foott to direct Spooked. Foott will also re-write the screenplay. The first draft was penned by Tyler Burton Smith, who previously wrote 2019’s Child’s Play remake. Smith is also behind the upcoming Kung Fury 2. As for Foott, he previously directed 2016’s The Young Offenders, which was later turned into a TV series. Some of his other credits include Republic of Telly and The Centre. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are set to produce the project. Mark Bauch is set as an executive producer.

While plot details are mostly being kept under wraps, the story is said to center on “a Halloween night gone awry as trick or treaters are transformed into whatever costume they are wearing.” Beyond that, much remains mysterious. There is no word currently on who may be tapped to star, nor is it clear how soon Disney hopes to begin production. That part could be tricky as studios are still trying to figure out how to get productions going following the shutdown. Some have managed to get filming started again, but it is a relatively small number. Even so, with the script getting a rewrite and with casting not yet set, it may be a little bit before they are ready to roll cameras anyhow.

Disney has a long history with Halloween movies. Specifically, the studio used to roll out a healthy selection of original movies on the Disney Channel on or around the annual Holliday. Some examples include Halloweentown, Twitches and Under Wraps. One of the most successful examples, Hocus Pocus, was originally conceived as a Disney Channel original, but ended up getting a theatrical release. A sequel is currently in development, which is expected to debut on Disney as well. It seems the plan may be to keep this tradition alive via streaming in the future.

This comes as the streaming wars have truly hit a new high. Disney launched last November, with the aim of taking on Netflix. In recent months, WarnerMedia released HBO Max, with NBCUniversal launching Peacock as well. With Hulu (also owned by Disney), Amazon Prime Video and others in the marketplace, consumers have an abundance of options to choose from. Disney has leaned heavily on its most successful franchises, such as Star Wars and Marvel, for content on the service. With that in mind, producing an original concept as a feature specifically for the service is noteworthy. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.

Topics: Spooked