Disney Orders ‘Pretty Freekin’ Scary’ Comedy Series As Part Of First-Look Deal With CakeStart
EXCLUSIVE: Disney is reuniting with longtime former VP Original Series Kory Lunsford with a new comedy series and a first-look deal. The company has picked up to series Pretty Freekin Scary, a multi-camera sitcom based on the popular books, from CakeStart Entertainment, where Lunsford serves as president and partner, and Cloudco Entertainment. Lunsford left Disney after nearly 20 years in May 2021 to join the newly formed CakeStart.
Production is underway on the series, the first to be greenlit under a first-look development deal between CakeStart and Disney. The 20-episode first season is slated to debut in summer 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+.
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Created for television by Jason P. Hauser based on the book series, Pretty Freekin Scary follows the adventures of Frankie Ripp, a 14-year-old girl who has a seemingly perfect life – great parents, annoying little brother, lifelong BFF – until she dies. After some heated debate in the Underworld with the Grim Reaper herself, Frankie is allowed to return home, but only if she’s accompanied by her new Underworld guardians, Pretty and Scary. Frankie will now have to adapt to her ‘once-dead’ status in the most challenging setting of all…Middle School.
The series stars Eliana Su’a (Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw) as Frankie, Kyan Samuels (Game Shakers) as Pretty, Leah Mei Gold (Side Hustle) as Scary, Yonas Kibreab (Pixar’s Elio) as Remy, and Emma Shannon (The Righteous Gemstones) as Nyx.
“Millions of kids and families around the world share the deep appreciation I have for the Disney brand and the kinds of imaginative, inspiring and relevant stories and interesting characters that reflect that brand and the world we live in,” said Lunsford. “We are excited to kick off this creative endeavor with a show like Pretty Freekin Scary, which brings me back to my Disney Channel roots.”
“Frankie is charming to watch as she figures out how to adapt to her new ‘life’ and friends under such unusual and unexpected circumstances,” added Jane Gould, EVP Content Research Insights and Scheduling, Disney General Entertainment. “Playing with topics that are traditionally serious adds a unique twist to the storytelling creating a fun offbeat comedy that is a great fit for our linear and streaming platforms.”
Pretty Freekin’ Scary is a co-production of CakeStart Entertainment and Cloudco Entertainment. Jessica Kaminsky serves as executive producer and showrunner, alongside executive producers Kory Lunsford, Loris Kramer Lunsford, Sean Gorman, Ian Lambur, Ryan Wiesbrock, Jason Netter and Ed Galton.
“Pretty Freekin Scary overlays a fun, high-concept, fantasy situation onto the otherwise relatable world of middle school,” said Cloudco Entertainment head of development and production, Ryan Wiesbrock. “We hope Disney viewers of all ages will be surprised, charmed, and entertained.”
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