Disney+ is working on a live-action Casper series, and while I was excited to read that Hollywood finally found a way to bring the character back in a big way, I fear they've lost the plot. That's on the heels of the reveal that "the friendliest ghost you know" is getting an "edgy" remake.
The report comes from Deadline, which reads that Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, who were also responsible for the newest Goosebumps series, are reteaming with Disney+ for this new project. The only detail so far is that it's believed to have a "dark edge" to it, and that it looks to replicate the success of Wednesday. I'm sorry, what?
I'm Not Sure Why We Need An "Edgy" Casper Series
The 1995 Casper is already pretty dark, but it walks the line well enough between humor and scares that it's still accessible to kids. That was the right tone for a franchise like Casper, which was always going to struggle eliciting true scares with its cartoony feel.
Article continues belowThe reason Wednesday works so well is that The Addams Family already naturally leaned into darker themes from a comedic perspective, highlighting a family obsessed with violence and the macabre.
Casper is about a ghost who, first and foremost, identifes as "Friendly," and has a track record for being terrible at scaring humans. Making him edgy compromises what the franchise is about, and I'd argue his mysterious uncles, The Ghostly Trio, are already edgelord-y enough. I just don't see the vision for how this works, but fortunately, the EPs and writers have plenty of time to convince me to tune in before it'll be ready for streaming via Disney+ subscription.
Casper Is One Of The Few "Spooky" Franchises Accessible To Young Kids, And I'd Prefer It Stays That Way
I hate to pull the "Think of the children!" card, but I have a daughter who loves spooky stuff. She isn't quite ready for the best horror movies of all time, but she certainly enjoys getting into the Halloween spirit and watching creepy fare, as opposed to anything truly horrifying Casper hits those notes, and is indeed one of her favorites.
The only thing we have to go on regarding this Casper series is that Wednesday is allegedly an inspiration. My kid loves Wednesday Addams, and while she recognizes Jenna Ortega's version, she has only seen Christina Ricci's. Wednesday is just a little too mature for the average eight-year-old, and now I fear Casper is headed in the same direction.
When I think of the easy ways to make this franchise edgy, gory deaths and raunchy sex come to mind, even though I imagine this project wouldn't go quite so far with either subject. Still, skewing closer to those topics could alienate younger audiences from watching, and that's not the only risk.
There's also a generation of people who grew up with the '90s movie who will have expectations for what they think Casper should be. (Sound familiar?) I'm sure there will be some who approach it with an open mind, but obviously, I'm all sorts of skeptical and on high alert just from the implication that it'll be edgy. Here's hoping I'm surprised when I finally see a trailer, and it's not quite as wild as I'm imagining it could be.
We'll see what becomes of this Casper project and who may end up attached to it. I'll remain skeptical, but curious to see what this upcoming series could possibly be like.
