The science wizards (or “imagineers” or whatever) at Disney have done the math, and it shakes out thusly: There are certainly many fans of The Mighty Ducks, but that nostalgia pool isn’t as big or fertile as the one for, say, The Goonies or Honey, I Shrunk The Kids—a pool so vast that it, and not a new Ghostbusters, had the power to draw Rick Moranis out of retirement. See (gestures to non-existent graph), The Mighty Ducks and its sequels were released on the down-curve of the Millennial birth chart—an issue exacerbated by the casting of Emilio Estevez, who was favored more by earlier Millennials. And so it was in the best interest of Disney+ to enlist a figurehead from another beloved pop culture brand—preferably somewhat newer and female-oriented—to attract additional viewers and also money.
THR had the great pleasure of revealing the chosen one who will unite two nostalgia-driven fandoms in the name of nostalgia-driven cash generation: Lauren Graham. The former Gilmore Girls star has signed on for The Mighty Ducks, the upcoming series airing on Disney+. Brady Noon (Good Boys) will also star in the half-hour comedy, which serves as a continuation of the original films. Mighty Ducks creator and director Steve Brill is on board as co-creator and executive producer of the new series, which is set in contemporary Minnesota, where the former underdog hockey team has become a formidable and highly-competitive team of renown. Noon will play Evan, a 12-year-old kid who gets cut from the team, inspiring his mom (Graham) to assemble a team of underdog hockey players to compete with the Ducks. And round and round it goes. Will this snake eat its own tail?! STAY TUNED.