Do you know Casper? He’s the friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost you could ever know, and he’s making a comeback. It’s been reported that a new live-action TV series based on the kid-friendly spectre is coming to streaming service Peacock.
Deadline states that the show will reimagine Casper’s origins, for a “coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be alive”. The setting will be Eternal Falls, where, after a new family moves in, our ghostly neighbour becomes embroiled in a mystery that stretches back a century into the town’s history. It’ll be a high school drama series, with some resemblance to Riverdale, another show that updated characters from decades ago.
Kai Yu Wu is writing the project, having already worked on fantasy Netflix series The Ghost Bride in 2020. That show involved someone agreeing to be married to a deceased member of a family to avoid horrendous debt, with the caveat the ghost becomes attached to them for eternity. Pretty close to Casper all told, making her a good fit already.
Casper has floating around since the ’30s, debuting on the small screen in 1945’s The Friendly Ghost. Since then, he’s had a number of headline shows and kids movies, with a surge in popularity in the ’90s thanks to Casper in 1995, featuring Christina Ricci.
Regular animated movies have followed, but nothing beyond straight-to-video fare that didn’t grab much attention. Coming to Peacock will mark the more prominent Casper production in quite some time, likely introducing a whole new generation to the ghostly pal.
We’ll keep you informed on the series as it comes together – check out the best ghost movies for less hospital supernatural presences.