With a major Star Wars series confirmed and Marvel and Muppets rumored to be on the way, fans may be wondering if Disney’s upcoming streaming service will have much…Disney. We’ve heard plenty about what may be created for the service, but we haven’t heard much if Disney plans to use its extensive catalog of nearly a century of material. But for those who love Disney’s history, there may be a series that profiles some (until recently) unsung heroes of the studio.
Deadline‘s Nellie Andreeva reports that ABC Studios’ Alternative Division is producing “Ink & Paint,” an eight-episode documentary series focusing on several women who have worked for Disney’s animation department throughout its history. The series is based on the book Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation by Mindy Johnson, published last year. Andreeva’s article also notes that filming is already underway, and the production crew recently interviewed 108 year-old Ruthie Thompson, who began work at Disney in 1937 as a cel cleaner and worked her way to become a supervising scene planner, at the studio’s old Ink and Paint building. The series is expected to premiere when the streaming service launches next year.
The article also reveals that the Alternative Division is also developing a second documentary series for the service, the focus of which hasn’t been made public yet.
From new high-profile shows to retrospectives on the company’s history, it looks like the new service will have something for all types of Disney fans!