Disney+ Originals “Swiss Family Robinson” & “The Society Of Explorers And Adventurers” Showrunner Jumps Back To Sony
Back in 2021, it was announced that Disney’s 20th Television had signed a new overall deal with showrunner Ronald D. Moore, who was behind major hits like Starz’s “Outlanders” and Apple TV+’s ‘For All Mankind’. He’s also previously worked on many “Star Trek” series and also “Battlestar Galactica”.
However, after three years with 20th Television, it’s been revealed that Ronald D. Moore is returning to Sony Television for a new multi-year overall deal, where he worked for ten years before leaving in 2020.
As part of the new deal with Sony, Ronald’s Tall Ship Productions banner and longtime collaborators Maril Davis and Ben McGinnis will now be developing and producing scripted series for Sony, which will be made for cable and streaming platforms since Sony will make and sell shows to whoever is paying!
Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a statement:
“This is a true homecoming, and I couldn’t be more excited to be reunited with Ron at Sony. Ron is an unbelievable storyteller. He knows how to connect with audiences through the characters and worlds he builds – characters and worlds that are brilliant, beautiful, rich, and authentic. The shows he has created alongside the incomparable Maril Davis remain relevant, watched, and admired by millions of fans worldwide, and we can’t wait to see which new places they will pull us into next.”
With Ronald also adding:
“I’m incredibly happy to return home to Sony Pictures Television. Creating shows with the team there has been enormously gratifying, and I’ve always been impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to making great shows. I’ve known and admired Katherine since we first worked together at Universal, and I’m really excited for us to work together again to make great television.”
During Ronald’s time at Disney, he was working on a number of projects including two Disney+ shows, “Swiss Family Robinson” and “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers”, plus “A Court Of Thorns And Roses” for Hulu. However, none of those shows have come to anything during the last few years.
Disney announced that Ron was making a “Swiss Family Robinson” series for Disney+ back at the Investor Day event in 2020, but nothing has happened on that series since then. The classic tale is about a family that gets shipwrecked on a deserted island, where they establish a new life for themselves.
However, Disney has never officially said it was working on a “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers” show, which would follow some of the adventures of a mystery group, though Ryan Reynolds is apparently working on a movie about this adventure group, so it’s likely Disney doesn’t want to projects moving forward based on the same premise.
Roger’s Take: With three years working at Disney, none of his projects seemed to move forward, and I’m guessing all three of those projects are now dead at the studio. I also think the big change of Bob Iger coming back and hitting the breaks on spending, and having some expensive drama series isn’t a priority, especially for Disney+ now. It’s a shame that none of these shows got made, but it also shows why Disney needs to be much more careful about announcing projects so far in advance.
https://youtu.be/5a3zBVnTzdw
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Roger Palmer
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