Kevin Smith Reveals Canceled Disney+ Launch Series
Two years ago, Kevin Smith shared with fans that he had completed what he described as a 'huge [...]
Two years ago, Kevin Smith shared with fans that he had completed what he described as a "huge writing gig" that dealt with "the most massive IP I've ever been allowed to play with." Now, fans may know what that project was and, unfortunately, it won't be coming to life after all. Smith took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal that he had been working on a Kingdom Keepers series for Disney+, but that the project was ultimately killed by an executive due to heavy use of Disney IP.
"That was a blast to write 2 years ago," Smith wrote. "It was planned as one of the first shows to launch on what would become @disneyplus. Then a new exec was put in charge of the app and he killed [Kingdom Keepers]. Said we used too much @Disney IP in one project (every character in the park comes to life)."
That was a blast to write 2 years ago. It was planned as one of the first shows to launch on what would become @disneyplus. Then a new exec was put in charge of the app and he killed KK. Said we used too much @Disney IP in one project (every character in the park comes to life). https://t.co/8izGTsg10H
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) April 5, 2020
For those not familiar, The Kingdom Keepers is a series of novels by Ridley Pearson that follows five teens who work as holographic hosts of the Disney Theme Parks by day, but by night, they do battle with Disney villains to stop them from taking over not just the Disney parks, but the entirety of the Disney corporation as well as the world. Given the huge number of characters that could appear in Disney parks -- and we're not talking just your standard Mickey and Minnie situation here, we're talking potentially even Marvel and Star Wars characters if they really wanted to go there -- a Kingdom Keepers series really could encompass a truly wild number of characters.
That said, while Smith says the Kingdom Keepers project has been shelved, that doesn't mean the idea couldn't be revisited at some point in the future. Perhaps Disney could trim down the characters appearing in an adaptation of the series. It's entertainment. Almost anything is possible.
That said, while Smith is clearly disappointed that his project wasn't able to go forward, he also shared the bright side. Per Smith, the executive that shelved Kingdom Keepers also gave the thumbs-up to the Star Wars and Marvel shows coming to Disney+, offerings Smith is a big fan of.
"The @disneyplus exec may have scrapped Kingdom Keepers, but he's also the guy who said, 'Let's do @starwars & @MarvelStudios shows!' So as much as I would've liked to make my show, I'm much happier watching The Mandalorian and I can't wait for WandaVision," Smith wrote, noting "#FanFirstFilmmakerSecond."
What do you think? Would you have liked to have seen Smith's Kingdom Keepers? Let us know in the comments below.