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‘Casper’ live-action series in early development at Disney+ with Steven Spielberg as producer

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E. Kristhoff Cagape

Push Team

Disney+ is set to release a live-action series about Casper the Friendly Ghost.According to a report by Deadline, the show will be executive produced by Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston alongside Steven Spielberg, who was the executive producer for the Casper movie of Universal in 1995.Universal Content Productions (UCP), a division of Universal Studio Group, will also join the project as part of the executive producing team.Though the details are still under wraps as the series is still in its early development, the upcoming live-action Casper series is expected to take on a darker tone, similar to how Wednesday reimagined the Addams Family universe.Rob and Hilary are penning the screenplay, with the former directing the series.Casper the Friendly Ghost was originally introduced in animated short films produced by Paramount Pictures’ Famous Studios. The character gained widespread popularity through a series of 55 theatrical cartoons released between 1945 and 1959 under the title The Friendly Ghost. His success extended into print, with Harvey Comics publishing Casper comic books starting in 1952. The company later acquired full ownership of the character in 1959, cementing Casper as one of its most iconic and enduring stars.Following the acquisition, Casper continued to expand his presence in television, appearing in multiple animated series. He eventually made the leap to the big screen with Casper in 1995, a live-action adaptation by Universal Pictures. The film marked a significant milestone in cinema history, as Casper became the first fully computer-generated character to headline a feature film. It earned over $290 million at the box office.<div> </div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/23/19/devon-sawa-of-90s-hit-casper-is-in-ph">READ: Devon Sawa, of &#x27;90s hit &#x27;Casper,&#x27; is in PH</a></div><div> </div>In the 1995 film, Casper was voiced by Malachi Pearson, while Devon Sawa portrayed Casper in his human form. Christina Ricci portrayed Kat, the 13-year-old daughter of Dr. Harvey, who forms a close bond with Casper as she copes with the loss of her mother and longs for friendship.&quot;Casper was really fun. It was a very long shoot — I think we shot for nine months on the Universal lot,” Christina recalled in an interview with Gold Derby in 2025.“It was really slow. At that time, it was sort of new technology that they were using to do the mix of live action and cartoon,&quot; she added.Christina shared that one of the most memorable moments for her during filming was the frequent set visits from the film’s legendary executive producer.“Steven Spielberg would come to set all the time. That, to me, was just the greatest thing. I got him to read Go Ask Alice, because I was obsessed with that book at the time. I wanted him to make it into a movie — and he actually read the book. We had a whole conversation about it, which was very nice of him,&quot; she relayed.

Steven Spielberg was the executive producer for the 'Casper' movie in 1995.

Steven Spielberg was the executive producer for the 'Casper' movie in 1995.