I think we can all admit; Disney has been putting a lot into animated series as of late. From “Gravity Falls”, “DuckTales”, and beyond we have seen not only a vast amount of series, but a massive amount of variety in various founts from this single medium. Different genera, art styles, characters, settings and oh so much more – they all retain the most critical thing, heart and passion.
And lucky for us Disney has dropped a ton of news about new series coming our way on Disney Channel and the upcoming Disney + app. So let’s do this lightning round style!
Here we go!
Ghost Force
Coming from us from Zag, the studio behind the one and only “Miraculous” is a new installment in their ZAG Heroez range; “Ghost Force”! The series is slated to follow a group of junior high friends who team up to form a secret superhero team dedicated to protect New York City.
Anyone who follows Jeremy Zag’s Instagram account has already likely known about this series for some time now, and even seen a lot of the art that he has posted in regards. Despite having teases, this is actually the first time we get any real details on the series. Even with it not being much to go off of, at the end of the day this is a ZAG production and honestly, I feel like this is all I really need to say. I love and adore ZAG and very genuinely remain excited for each new series they add to their ever growing universe.
Monsters at Work
Monsters At Work stars Ben Feldman as a brand new character in the Monsters world, Tylor Tuskmon. And, of course, Monstropolis wouldn’t be the same without the original Monsters, Inc. voices Billy Crystal and John Goodman returning as Mike and Sulley.
The series picks up six months after the original movie’s story, with the Monsters, Inc. power plant now harvesting laughter (instead of screams) to fuel the city of Monstropolis. Tylor Tuskmon is an eager mechanic on the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT) who dreams of working his way up to the factory “Laugh Floor” to become a jokester alongside his idols Mike and Sulley.
In addition to Mike and Sulley, other fan-favorite Monsters, Inc. characters will appear in the show as well! Including Celia, voiced by Jennifer Tilly, and Yeti, voiced by Pixar mainstay John Ratzenberger (who will also voice a new character, Bernard). Plus, Bob Peterson returns as Roz… as well as her twin sister Roze?!
On top of these classic characters, there are tons of new characters as well! Joining the cast of the new animated series is Kelly Marie Tran as Val Little, Tylor’s lifelong friend and confidante; Henry Winkler as Fritz, the scatterbrained boss; Lucas Neff as Duncan, an opportunistic plumber; Alanna Ubach as Cutter, the rule follower; Stephen Stanton as Smitty and Needleman, the bumbling custodial team, and Aisha Tyler as Tylor’s mom Millie Tuskmon.
I cannot for the life of me say the name of this series with a straight face. Automatically I have this knee-jerk response and my mind goes back “Cells at Work” a manga series that shares a name with its summer 2018 anime adaption. If you have ever read/seen that series I think you have a faintly clear picture why the humor follows as such.
Back on point; unlike the other series announced, “Monsters at Work” has been known for a while now. And it is great to see it progress and getting closer towards release. Yet the question remains; did anyone ask for this?
Chip ‘n’ Dale
A brand new animated series Chip ‘n’ Dale is currently in production and set for global release as a Disney+ Original. The 39 seven minute episodes will feature the return of everyone’s favorite chipmunk troublemakers in non-verbal, classic comedy stylings.
Each of the 39 shorts will follow the ups and downs of the cutest chipmunks around living life in the big city. Combining a traditional style of animation with contemporary, comedic narratives, Chip ‘n’ Dale is directed by Jean Cayrol and produced by Marc du Pontavice.
There is clearly a lot of experimentation and variety that Disney is playing up. Especially for their new steaming service. I know with “DuckTales” and how we are having a bit of a Disney Afternoon renaissance of sorts occurring, a lot of fans were hoping to see somehow a return of “Rescue Rangers”. Perhaps with any luck we will see nods to that.
101 Dalmatian Street
101 Dalmatian Street centers around a large family of 99 dalmatian puppies whose names begin with the letter “D”, and their parents, Doug and Delilah, the latter of whom is a descendant of Pongo and Perdita. They often leave the eldest siblings, Dylan and Dolly, in charge while they are busy at work. The dalmatians live by themselves at 101 Dalmatian Street, located in Camden Town, London in the 21st century, with no human supervision as their owner Dodie Smith, an eccentric billionaire, left them her house and went to live on an island.
Unlike the other series mentioned, 101 is the only series that has actually already aired and for a while was in a limbo-like status of the sheer possibility it would arrive state side.
Owl House
Luz, a self-assured teenage human girl, accidentally stumbles upon a portal to a magical new world where she befriends a rebellious witch, Eda, and an adorably tiny warrior, King. Despite not having magical abilities, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda’s apprentice at the Owl House and ultimately finds a new family in an unlikely setting.
Check out the teaser!
This completely feels like a darker more unconventional take on maho shoujo, magical girl sub-genera. In some ways there is this kind of “Little Witch Academia” meets “She-Ra and the Princess of Power” vibe. And I am totally loving it!
Join the conversation: What series are you the most hyped for?