Steven Spielberg‘s latest movie, the science fiction thriller Disclosure Day, is headed to theaters this summer. However, that isn’t the sole focus of the legendary director’s attention. He’s also set to produce a TV reboot of a classic comic book and animated character that’s on its way to haunt Disney+.

According to reports, Disney+ has landed a new reimagining of Casper the Friendly Ghost. Spielberg has long been associated with the property; his production company, Amblin Entertainment, produced the live-action 1995 film that brought the character to the big screen. The new series, which will be a combination of live-action and CGI, is said to have a darker edge to it, akin to the Netflix series Wednesday. It comes from the team of Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, who also worked on Disney+‘s Goosebumps series. Letterman and Winston will write the series, and Letterman will direct; they will also executive produce with Spielberg.

What Is ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost’?

Casper is a youthful ghost who, unlike most other ghosts, wants to befriend the living. This often puts him into conflict with other spirits, spooks, and spectres, including his “uncles,” the obnoxious Ghostly Trio. Unfortunately, those who encounter Casper are almost invariably terrified of him. The character originated in a series of short cartoons from Paramount Pictures in the 1940s and 50s; he also appeared in comics published by Harvey Comics, who purchased the character outright in 1959. Casper has starred in a number of animated series, as well as a theatrical film in 1995; helmed by Brad Silberling (City of Angels), it starred Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci as a father-daughter duo who move into a mansion haunted by Casper and the Ghostly Trio. Casper was realized by then pioneering CG effects; he was voiced by Malachi Pearson and played by a then-unknown Devon Sawa after briefly being returned to life. The film revived interest in the character, who was subsequently featured in a spin-off animated series and a series of direct-to-video sequels.

After a series of acquisitions, Casper and Harvey Comics‘ other properties are now owned by NBCUniversal. Casper most recently appeared on the animated series Harvey Girls Forever!, which featured several Harvey characters, including Little Audrey, Little Dot, and Richie Rich; Casper was voiced by Bobby Moynihan.

A new Casper TV series is in development at Disney+.

via Collider