‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’ Series Moves From Hulu to Disney+ with Tony Hale in Lead Role

Tony Hale has found his next leading role.

The Arrested Development and Veep actor will star in The Mysterious Benedict Society, a live-action television adaptation of author Trenton Lee Stewart’s bestselling books which follow a group of orphans who go undercover at a boarding school. The series was originally developed at Hulu, but has since shifted to another platform under the Disney umbrella: according to a new press release, the show will air on Disney+ next year. Get more details below.

Stewart has written four books in the series, and the original novel serves as the inspiration for the eight-episode first season of this adaptation. Here’s the logline:

Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way.

Hale plays Nicholas Benedict, an eccentric man who gathers a guild of assistants in an effort to stop his evil twin brother, the wonderfully named Ledroptha Curtain, from using a rival band of assistants to brainwash the population and take over the world. The official Disney+ press release only mentions that Hale is playing Benedict, but an earlier report said Hale would be playing both roles.

Hale will be joined on screen by Kristen Schaal, Ryan Hurst, MaameYaa Boafo, Gia Sandhu, Seth Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Mystic Inscho, and Marta Timofeeva.

Dana Walden, the chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, said that she has already seen the first few episodes of the show and determined that its family-friendly nature made it a perfect fit for Disney+. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, who co-wrote films like Destroyer, The Invitation, Ride Along, and R.I.P.D., are the writers and creators of the series, and the showrunners will be Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer, who were writer/producers of Smallville, No Ordinary Family, and the Freeform series Shadowhunters.

“We are so thrilled that Disney+ will be the home for our show,” Manfredi and Hay said in a joint statement. “What a great place to be! It’s a beautiful thing to feel as supported and inspired as we have, every step of the way, by our entire team at 20^th, Hulu and the Disney family; and we are honored and gratified by the belief in the show this represents. From the moment Jamie and Karen brought us these fantastic books, through our collaboration with Todd, Darren, Tony and our amazing cast and crew, we’ve felt very lucky. Certainly feeling that way today.”

Slavkin and Swimmer issued their own statement: “We’re excited to help bring Trenton Lee Stewart’s wonderful book and Matt and Phil’s exquisite adaption to Disney+. It is the perfect platform for the Mysterious Benedict Society and we can’t wait for the world to see this show.”

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