Disney+ to Launch The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society, based on the best-selling book series by Trenton Lee Stewart, is set to land on Disney+ next year.

Starring Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development) as Mr. Benedict, The Mysterious Benedict Society sees him placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute. There, a group of orphans attempts to foil an evil plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way. The eight-episode first season is based on the first book in Stewart’s series. It was originally developed for Hulu.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is produced by 20th Television, one of the Disney Television Studios. In addition to Hale, the series stars Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers, Last Man On Earth), Ryan Hurst, MaameYaa Boafo, Gia Sandhu, Seth Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Mystic Inscho and Marta Timofeeva.

Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, said: “The Mysterious Benedict Society is a beautifully executed adaptation of the celebrated and beloved book series. It’s original, clever and fun for the whole family, which makes it the perfect fit for Disney+. One of the great benefits to creators working with our company is that we have a platform that’s right for every series, and having seen the first few episodes of this show, there is no better home for it than Disney+.”

Ricky Strauss, president of programming and content curation at Disney+ and Hulu, said: “Disney+ has established itself over the last year as the streaming home for a diverse slate of high-quality content featuring beloved franchises, stories and characters. We’re thrilled to add The Mysterious Benedict Society to Disney+ and know it will captivate our viewers’ imagination with exciting new worlds and capture the hearts of audiences of all ages.”

Series writers and creators Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay said: “We are so thrilled that Disney+ will be the home for our show. 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 20th, 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.”

Showrunners Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer added: “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.”

The Mysterious Benedict Society is executive produced by Sonar Entertainment, 20th Television, Jamie Tarses, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay.