Black-ish Producer Reportedly Helming Cheaper By the Dozen Reboot

Disney CEO Bob Iger has big plans for Disney+ and the service will be getting a boost from a number properties that the House of Mouse aquired from Fox. Cheaper by the Dozen is one of those properties and now The DisInsider Gail Lerner, of Black-ish fame, will direct the film. It's been speculated that this version of the project would have been a series on the new streaming service, but will instead take the form of another film.

On a Disney earnings call this Tuesday, Iger revealed that properties like Home Alone, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Night at the Museum would be headed to the Disney+ service. The CEO also shared that the company intends to reboot several of their classic franchises to help bolster the stable of content on the new streaming platform. Lerner presents someone who is being trusted to replicate her success with family dynamics focused shows like Black-ish and Happy Endings.

Lerner will be getting the help from Black-ish and Grown-ish creator Kenya Barris on the new version of Cheaper by the Dozen. Jenifer Rice Genzuk will be tasked with the script and Donald J. Lee Jr. will be aboard as a producer. There will be some serious familiarity among the crew who have helped shape Black-ish into the monster success it has become for ABC.

The Cheaper by the Dozen films are based on the 1948 book of the same name by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The novel presents a biographic account of their family's upbringing back in the 1920's. The film was adapted from this novel in 1950 as Fox tabbed Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy for starring roles. In 2003, the company remade the movie with Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt.

The two versions went on to gross $310M combined at the global box office. Now the most recent version will be tasked with helping lead the charge for Disney+ as it comes to marked later this year. The film's debut is rumored for Fall 2020.

Disney+ will launch for subscribers in November, the massive library will contain properties like Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and more. The $6.99 per month price for Disney+ already seems like good value for streamers, but a new bundle announced by Disney makes it even more enticing. Once Disney+ launches, users will be able to bundle it with Hulu and ESPN+ for just $12.99 per month, which is the same exact price as a standard Netflix subscription.

It seems like Disney is coming for Netflix's crown with this bundle, especially considering Hulu was already one of the streaming services' original rivals. However, Bob Iger argued that all of this is just a byproduct of competition in the marketplace. During an interview with CNBC, Iger explained that the goal is to maximize affordability in order to gain a maximum number of subscribers.

"I know there's a lot that's been speculated about us going after them. We're not, we're looking to occupy space. That's a growth opportunity for the company and growth in terms in terms of consumption," Iger said. "We've always believed there's plenty of room for both of us to thrive in this marketplace."