Disney XD Orders Martial Arts Comedy

BURBANK: The new live-action comedy Wasabi Warriors (working title), set within a strip-mall martial arts studio, is headed into production for a 2011 debut on Disney XD channels around the world.

The show centers on the Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy, where a motley crew of loveable misfits will teach a group of neighborhood goofballs about life, karate and how to kick it. Wasabi Warriors stars Jason Earles (Hannah Montana), Leo Howard (Disney Channel’s short-form series Leo Little’s Big Show), Mateo Arias (Cold Case, Hannah Montana), Dylan Riley Snyder (Life During Wartime), Alex Jones and Olivia Holt (Black & Blue).

Gary Marsh, the president of entertainment, and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide, said, "By weaving martial arts into the fabric of a traditional situation comedy, we’ve created a completely unique sitcom form. Plus, by pairing our star Leo Howard—a real life black-belt martial artist—with a brilliant comedian like Jason Earles, we’ve tipped the scales towards success."