As a seasoned movie critic with a penchant for unearthing the hidden gems amidst the rubble of Hollywood, I must confess my disappointment at Disney’s decision to shelve the much-anticipated “Witch Mountain” television series. With a rich history and an intriguing cast, this project seemed poised to breathe new life into an underrated franchise that has captivated audiences for decades.
Lovers of the upcoming Witch Mountain TV show will be disheartened to hear that the project has been canceled, as lead actress Bryce Dallas Howard confirmed Disney has dropped it. In the year 2019, Disney announced its plans to reboot the Witch Mountain franchise into a series for its freshly launched streaming service, Disney+. The cast was set to feature Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Levi Miller (Pan), Isabel Gravitt (American Housewife), Bianca “b” Norwood (You), and Jackson Kelly (Chucky). Similar to the original movies, the show would have centered around alien children on Earth.
A pilot episode for “Witch Mountain” was produced, but it seems no further development will occur on this project. During a panel discussion at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, moderated by Maggie Lovitt from Collider, Bryce Dallas Howard disclosed that Disney has opted out of “Witch Mountain”. Howard shared that although filming the pilot was enjoyable, the series won’t progress, which is unfortunately common in the industry as some projects don’t advance past the pilot stage. In her own words:
As a film enthusiast, I’m deeply disheartened to share that our project isn’t moving forward. Shooting it here in Toronto was an incredible experience, and we all relished the unique groove it offered. The movie business is unpredictable; some projects make it, while others don’t. It’s a harsh reality that this industry often presents us with.
Escape From Streaming
The movie “Escape to Witch Mountain” is a film series that originated from a 1968 book by Alexander Key. The story revolves around alien children trying to find their way back to their home planet. Initially developed in the late ’70s/early ’80s, it became one of Disney’s lesser-known yet enduring franchises, consisting of three films: “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975), “Return to Witch Mountain” (1978), and “Beyond Witch Mountain” (1982). In 1995, Disney produced a TV remake titled “Escape to Witch Mountain,” which marked Elisabeth Moss’s early acting career. A reboot of the franchise, “Race to Witch Mountain,” was released in 2009, starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, and Alexander Ludwig.
Initially, when Disney+ was launched, they decided to produce smaller-budget TV shows from their extensive library of intellectual properties (IP), like those acquired from 20th Century Fox, such as “Willow”, “Turner & Hooch”, and “The Mighty Ducks”. At that time, former CEO Bob Chapek was eager to profit from streaming releases. However, since Bob Iger’s return as Disney CEO, the studio appears to be reconsidering many previously announced projects. Recently, it has been suggested that some movies have been secretly canceled by Disney, and it seems that this might also apply to certain TV series, including “Witch Mountain”.
Previously, Disney+ had cancelled several high-profile television series based on their intellectual properties, such as “Nautilus” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” While “Nautilus,” a 10-part miniseries inspired by Captain Nemo from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” was initially greenlit but later abandoned, it has since been made available on AMC in the US and Canada, with Prime Video handling its release in the UK and Ireland. Similarly, Disney+ had plans to debut “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” having acquired the book rights as part of their purchase of 20th Century Fox, which produced the 2008 film. However, when Disney+ withdrew from the project, Roku secured the streaming rights, and the series premiered on April 19, 2024. In contrast to these completed works, “Witch Mountain” never moved beyond the pilot stage. This suggests that the streaming boom initiated by Disney in 2019 may be slowing down as the studio reconsiders its spending.
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2024-08-26 19:01