Casper the Friendly Ghost is returning to TV screens in a new show being developed by US network Peacock.
The revamped incarnation of the story is set to be a live-action adventure series exploring the darker side of the popular children’s character, with a focus on existential questions about what it means to be alive.
Set in high school, the forthcoming Casper story will revolve around a new family that arrives in the small town of Eternal Falls, where the eponymous ghost starts to unravel dark secrets that have lain dormant for over a century [via Deadline].
Casper originally featured in 55 theatrical cartoons 1945 and 1959. Since then the character has appeared in numerous comic books and animated series, culminating in commercial popularity with Universal Pictures’ 1995 live-action film Casper. Despite strong performances at the box office, the film received mixed critical responses.
Casper the Friendly Ghost, 1979. CREDIT: Hanna Barbera/Alamy
As with the ’90s film, which starred Malachi Pearson, Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman, the new live-action Casper series is also expected to feature CGI effects.
The Ghost Bride, which featured upcoming Casper writer Kai Yu Wu as head writer, was named by NME as one of the 10 best Asian TV shows of 2020.
“Adapted from the eponymous best-selling novel, The Ghost Bride gets its unusual premise from the old Chinese practice of ghost marriages, which involves a living person “marrying” somebody deceased,” NME wrote, adding that the series was “a binge-worthy, soapy pleasure”.
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