Disney+ No Longer Creating “Gargoyles” Live-Action Series
Back in 2023, it was revealed that Disney was developing a brand-new live-action series of its classic 90s animated series, “Gargoyles”, for Disney+.
The original animated series tells the story of Goliath and his clan of gargoyles, who, in Scotland, 994 A.D., are sworn to defend a medieval castle. Goliath has been tricked by humans and discovers that his entire clan has been destroyed. He and the remaining gargoyles are cursed to sleep for 1,000 years. Billionaire David Xanatos buys the castle and moves it to New York City, making it his headquarters. When the castle is attacked, the gargoyles are awakened and discovered by detectives Elisa Maza and David Xanatos. The gargoyles try to go unnoticed while battling both old and new enemies.
Atomic Monster, which is run by James Wan and Michael Clear, was set to produce the series, with Wan and Clear revealed to be executive producers. Gary Dauberman was going to create the new series and write, executive produce, and be the showrunner.
Since then, we haven’t heard much more about the project, but during a panel at Fan Expo Canada, Greg Weisman, who created the original animated series, offered a disappointing update: the live-action series was no longer going ahead.
When asked a question about the new series by a fan during the Official Fan Expo Canada eBay livestream,
“Well, I know the live-action side of it is, uh, the Atomic Monster had the license to develop a live-action Gargoyles for Disney+, and that’s dead. I have no idea about animation, but there are no current plans for live-action.”
The original “Gargoyles” series ran for three seasons and aired from 1994 until 1997. All three seasons are available to stream now on Disney+.
Roger’s Take: Since it’s been a few years since the project was revealed to be in development (though Disney never made a public announcement), I had my doubts this show was happening, as we’ve seen Disney drastically change its strategy regarding original content. Expensive live-action shows are no longer a priority, especially with the integration of Hulu into Disney+. Hopefully, Disney can bring this show back in an animated format, but as a live-action show, it’s likely just way too expensive to make in the current climate.
What do you think of Disney not moving forward with this live-action series? Let me know on social media!
