Above artwork by artist Tim Rogerson
Something wicked is in the works for Disney+, the House of Mouse's streaming service set to launch later this year. Today, it's been announced that the studio is moving forward with BOOK OF ENCHANTMENT, an adaptation of the Villains book series by Serena Valentino featuring some of Disney’s most insidious villains. Michael Seitzman (QUANTICO, CODE BLACK) is in charge, with ABC Signature Studios and Christina Davis’ ABC Studios-based Maniac Productions also on board.
While finer details related to the series have yet to be confirmed, word around the water cooler has BOOK OF ENCHANTMENT pegged as an epic universe that will feature Disney villains as part of new and exciting stories. According to sources, the project has been in the works for the past six months, with Seitzman having written the pilot script as well as a "bible" for contributors to adhere to while creating villainous adventures for the show. In addition to his aforementioned contributions, Seitzman will also serve as showrunner of BOOK OF ENCHANTMENT. It's also my understanding that Disney is currently hiring writers for the series, with a writers room set for an April assembly.
Valentino’s book series (of which I've read both Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen and Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy) is made up of five books to date, with a sixth, The Odd Sisters: A Villains Novel, due to arrive on shelves later this year.
For the moment, Disney+ has yet to give the Villains project a green light, though it's expected to go through once budget numbers and crunched and whatnot. Filming locations are being scouted as you read this, with plans to mount a 2020 shoot in the UK.