For the Disney executives, there’s probably no word that gets them excited more than “franchise.” Whether that’s with “Star Wars,” Marvel Studios, Pixar, or any of their other content creation studios, Disney is all about franchises. So, it shouldn’t be all that shocking that the Mouse House is now hoping to turn another park attraction into a potential franchise with its Magic Kingdom Cinematic Universe. Yes, that’s going to be a thing.
According to THR, Disney has hired Ronald D. Moore to oversee the creation of a connected universe of TV series and projects that are all centered around the Magic Kingdom attractions at the studio’s theme parks. The first show out of the gate is expected to be “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers,” which is the series that will introduce viewers to the idea that the themed lands and characters found all over the theme parks are actually all part of another reality and co-exist together. So, you might have the captain of the Jungle Cruise ride as part of this “Society of Explorers and Adventurers,” for example. But the report claims that the story is still early in development.
Moore is probably best known as the creator of the “Battlestar Galactica” reboot series from the early-‘00s. That series is a huge fan-favorite and critical darling. He has most recently been working on “For All Mankind,” which is an alternate history series about space exploration. However, both of those series, though based on genre ideas, are definitely for adults, whereas this Magic Kingdom idea is clearly aimed at children. The report claims that Moore is an avid Disney fan, so I guess it makes sense.
There is obviously no release date set for “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers.” Moore and Disney are putting together a writers’ room currently, so we are still pretty far off from when we might see this show debut, let alone the full expansion of the connected universe. But be prepared, it’s coming.