Since the arrival of Disney+, it seems like Disney is finding new life for every beloved brand and franchise they have. The company has already given patrons of its streaming service a live-action/CGI blended film on an updated idea of Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Cars on the Road, a continuation of the Cars franchise, and a new season of The Proud Family, to name a few. These series bring back tons of fond memories for those who grew up with them, so if these revivals are done right, it’s a no-brainer for audiences and the company alike.
It doesn’t seem like Disney is about to stop either, as there are already projects in development continuing the adventures of Moana, Princess Tiana, and many more. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Disney is poised to add another to that list, dipping its toes into some of its strongest Disney Channel properties, following in the footsteps of the That So Raven reboot. This one will make plenty of people my age excited because a show from our childhood may be making its grand return to the small screen soon. I’m already bouncing in my seat just writing about it. It seems that a Kim Possible reboot is in the works!
However, those looking for a whole new season might have to wait just a bit longer, because it seems this reboot is going to be a film for one of their networks or Disney+, if not both (as seen with other cross-platform Disney projects). Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if another series or more films follow if this reboot is received well by audiences.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is helmed by co-creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, who also birthed the OG show. The pair – who are both seasoned TV and animation veterans – have a firm creative grasp on the beloved universe they’ve created. However, even at this point, there’s still room for them to master new skills and strategies. I had the pleasure of speaking with the clever executive producers about their creative process ahead of the second season’s premiere. When asked about the most important lessons they picked up between Seasons 1 and 2, Smith pointed to their handling of the massive roster of characters:
Well, we knew that we expanded the cast, so that expanded cast leads to trying to create more real estate for those new characters, you know, to exist in the story. So what you witnessed in the first ten [episodes was] us kind of laying the foundation of these new characters that, you know, are now going to permeate this world. And what we learned from that is that we want ourselves to be longer and service all the new characters in this Proud Family universe. But really, what we learned is that we can tell any kind of story, you know? There's no subject matter that we shy away from, because [of] the tone that we've set, and how the audience believes in these characters and believe who these characters are.
Louder and Prouder has greatly expanded the cast by adding new characters like siblings Maya and KG Leibowitz-Jenkins and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown, Penny Proud’s new boyfriend. Additionally, characters from the original series, like Michael Collins, play more prominent roles in the revival. It was a smart creative decision on the producers’ part as it allows for additional world-building, which effectively feeds into the storytelling. And as Bruce W. Smith noted, the show now has the freedom to craft more varied narratives around the Prouds and those in their orbit. (And of course, The Proud Family’s wide array of celebrity guest stars is included in that equation.)
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