Production Under Way on Disney XD Original Movie

BURBANK: Production has begun on the new sci-fi adventure feature Skyrunners, the first original movie for the newly branded platform Disney XD.

Skyrunners features Kelly Blatz, who can also be seen in the title role of the network’s flagship series Aaron Stone. The film follows as teenage brothers Tyler (Joey Pollari) and Nick Burns (Blatz) commandeer a small UFO that crashes near their town. They soon realize that the spacecraft is "alive" and Tyler begins to develop superhuman abilities. When the brothers uncover an ominous alien plot to take over Earth, Tyler is captured by the extraterrestrials, and it’s up to Nick to rescue his brother.

"Through a variety of storytelling genres, including original movies, our goal is to become the top destination for boys on television, online and everywhere they interact with media," said Gary Marsh, the president of entertainment for Disney Channels Worldwide. "Girls are certainly welcome at Disney XD, but what we’re trying to do is super-serve the 6- to 14-year-old boy audience in a way that nobody else has with stories that are decidedly Disney, with themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports."