Book of Enchantment (TV Series)

[Sotiris]

Well, this came out of nowhere.

Steve Pearlman (Once Upon a Time ) and Michael Seitzman (Quantico) are developing DISNEY VILLAINS, for Disney+, the upcoming online video streaming service. Production is slated for the second quarter of 2020 at Ardmore Studios in Dublin, Ireland.

Source: https://twitter.com/prodweek/status/1100198785236566016

[Atlantica]

Will this be a twisty tale like Once was I wonder ? How random . . .

They tried to do a Villains line a while ago didn't they, but never quite took off.

[JeanGreyForever]

This better not be connected to Descendants. I'm curious if it'll be an animated show or a live-action one.

[Sotiris]

^It's a live-action one. The fact it'll be filmed at a movie studio is a dead giveaway. I hope this show has no connection to either Descendants or Once Upon a Time and does its own take on the villains.

[JeanGreyForever]

Oops, didn't look close enough at the description. Didn't even think of OUAT but hope it isn't related to that either.

[Sotiris]

More details have been revealed. The series will be based on Serena Valentino's books about Disney Villains. I'm kind of skeptical about the show now.

This is a series tailor-made for Disney’s upcoming family-oriented direct-to-consumer platform. I hear the streaming service is moving forward with Book of Enchantment, an adaptation of the Villains book series by Serena Valentino featuring some of Disney’s most popular villains. The project hails from Michael Seitzman (Quantico, Code Black), ABC Signature Studios and Seitzman and Christina Davis’ ABC Studios-based Maniac Productions.

Book of Enchantment is envisioned as an epic universe that weaves classic Disney tales told in a brand new way. The project had been in development for more than six months, with Seitzman writing a pilot script and a bible for the series. He serves as showrunner for Book of Enchantment, which is currently hiring writers, with a writers room slated to open in April. I hear there is no official green light as budget numbers are still being crunched, but locations are being scouted for a 2020 shoot in the UK.

Source: https://deadline.com/2019/02/book-of-en ... 202566282/

The Disney+ ‘Book of Enchantment’ live-action series is set to begin filming in April 2020. The series will focus on the villains of classic Disney tales.

Source: https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/stat ... 2025121793

[JeanGreyForever]

I wouldn't mind if they use the books as a general outline but don't do a strict adaptation of them. Frankly, the books have potential but they're more interested in the OC characters (the three sister witches) to the point that some of the major villains are literally pushed out of their own books. I think trying to connect all the villains together in one universe hurt the quality as well, since the best book is still the Evil Queen's because hers was the first and avoided all this nonsense.

[unprincess]

so basically Once Upon a Time 2.0.

[JeanGreyForever]

Basically. Honestly, the Beast book always sounded like it could be a OUAT episode with the ridiculous backstory inserted for him, Gaston, and one of the sister witches. Maleficent and Ursula are basically neutered like in OUAT because they're barely present in their own books. I didn't bother reading the Gothel one, but I tried to read the basic plotline and I was so confused. It also sounded like a OUAT episode lol.

Not sure if I want to see Jafar or Lady Tremaine's characters similarly damaged (although nothing could be worse than OUAT's version of Lady Tremaine where she was using her cane as a shotgun and randomly going around stabbing people like a beserker with it).

[Farerb]

(although nothing could be worse than OUAT's version of Lady Tremaine where she was using her cane as a shotgun and randomly going around stabbing people like a beserker with it).

LOL... That show was so dumb sometimes.

[Disney's Divinity]

LOL... That show was so dumb sometimes.

Turning Cinderella's stepmother violent was unbelievably stupid. No doubt the show had many dumb, horrid moments in its time, but that was near the top.

I don't really care that this will be exclusive to the service. I doubt it'll be any good.

[Sotiris]

It looks like the author will be involved in some capacity.

Thank you for all the Villains love, everyone! Though I cannot comment on Book of Enchantment at this time, I do promise I will share more when I can. Please be patient with me. My love and thanks to you all!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/serena.valenti ... 2264912938

[blackcauldron85]

The show has been canceled; apparently it got too dark:
‘Book Of Enchantment’ Disney+ TV Series Project About Disney Villains Not Going Forward
https://deadline.com/2019/08/book-of-en ... 202701776/

[disneyprincess11]

How can they say that the show is too dark, yet make a movie about one of their villains becoming a dog killer?

[Kyle]

Its not like they would ever show her killing dogs. Animated or live action.

It was probably targeting kids, so I'd imagine it would turn out something like the villains in house of mouse. Never really allowed to be as evil as they appear in their actual movies.

[Sotiris]

That's too bad. From all the Disney Plus shows, this was the one I was looking forward to the most. It's odd that it was deemed too dark. I mean Once Upon a Time featured rape and murder, how much darker can it get? In any case, at least there's still some hope.

While the current Book of Enchantment series incarnation will not go forward, ABC Studios continues to own the IP, and I hear Disney+ remains interested in the property so a new take may be developed down the road.

Source: https://deadline.com/2019/08/book-of-en ... 202701776/