Have you ever looked at Casper the Friendly Ghost and thought, "this little guy could really use a bit more of an edge." No? Well, Peacock did, and now we're getting a "darker" reimagining of the classic children's character.
According to Deadline, a new live-action Casper series is in the works for the streaming service. Kai Yu Wu (The Ghost Bride) is writing and executive producing the show, which is said to be inspired by The CW's young adult take on Riverdale.
Described as "a live-action, horror/adventure series," Casper will "explore what it means to be alive. When a new family arrives in the small town of Eternal Falls, Casper finds himself entangled in a mystery, uncovering dark secrets that have been buried for over 100 years.”
Casper was the focus of a live-action movie starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci back in 1995. The film was panned by critics, but it has emerged as something of a family favourite over the years, and was followed by a pair of sequels.
We're not really sure what's to be gained by going down a darker route with the affable spirit, but as long as the series manages to find the right tone, it might work.