‘Spaceship Earth’ TV Series Based on EPCOT Ride Gets Disney+ Pilot Order
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Disney+ has ordered a pilot for a science-fiction series inspired by EPCOT’s long-running Spaceship Earth ride. The project could extend Disney’s efforts to turn theme-park attractions into screen franchises, although a full series has not yet been commissioned.
The pilot follows teenagers from Earth’s past and future who must work together after an attempt to prevent a global catastrophe fails. Jason Fuchs will serve as showrunner, with Lee Toland Krieger directing; 20th Television will produce. Spaceship Earth has operated at EPCOT since the park opened in 1982, while Disney’s most successful ride adaptation, Pirates of the Caribbean, has earned more than $4.5 billion worldwide.
- Disney+ commissions a Spaceship Earth pilot.
- The story involves teenagers confronting a time-spanning threat.
- A full series order remains uncertain.
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Spaceship Earth is a ride inside the large geodesic sphere at EPCOT, the Disney theme park in Florida. Since the park opened in 1982, it has taken visitors through scenes showing how people have developed ways to communicate, from early writing to modern technology.
Disney has increasingly used its theme-park attractions as the basis for films and television projects. The best-known example is the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, which turned a ride into a major global franchise.
A pilot is an initial episode made to test a programme before a full series is approved. The planned story uses the ride’s interest in human progress as a starting point for a science-fiction adventure involving young people from different points in time.
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The case for
Adapting Spaceship Earth could give Disney+ a distinctive science-fiction premise rooted in a ride associated with humanity’s progress and communication, rather than simply repeating familiar superhero material. Supporters may argue that the time-spanning story offers room for ambitious themes about responsibility, technology and cooperation, while an established attraction provides an accessible starting point for audiences. A pilot order also limits the commitment, allowing Disney to test the concept before funding a full series.
The case against
Critics may argue that commissioning television projects primarily from theme-park intellectual property risks treating streaming as an extension of corporate brand management rather than backing original ideas. Spaceship Earth is a broad, educational attraction, and sceptics may question whether its connection to a teen-focused catastrophe plot is meaningful enough to justify the adaptation. They may also contend that a pilot can still absorb creative resources that could otherwise support new writers and stories without pre-existing commercial ties.
More coverage
- The Hollywood Reporter — ‘Spaceship Earth’ Series Based on EPCOT Ride in the Works at Disney+
- Deadline — ‘Spaceship Earth’ TV Series Based On EPCOT Ride Gets Disney+ Pilot Order
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