The Disney+ streaming service is cutting three series as part of the studio’s continued efforts to rein in its profligate spending, with woke, multi-racial reboots of Doogie Howser, M.D. and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea among the titles on the chopping block.
In a sign of how drastic the cuts are, the 20,000 Leagues reboot, titled Nautilus, was canceled before it even debuted — as was an upcoming series based on The Spiderwick Chronicles. Both shows had already completed production, according to a Deadline report.
The deep cuts come as Disney CEO Bob Iger continues to slash costs across the company amid unprecedented financial turmoil at the once-formidable studio. Disney+ reported a loss of 300,000 domestic subscribers in the latest quarter — an ominous sign for a young streamer that should still be gaining customers at this stage.
Disney announced earlier this year plans to slash $3 billion in non-sports content spending across the company.
Disney+ has canceled Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. after two seasons. Based on the popular 1989-1993 ABC sitcom starring a young Neil Patrick Harris, the Hawaii-set series replaced the original show’s white male protagonist with a Hawaiian girl named Lahela Kamealoha.
The streamer also nixed Nautilus, which reportedly focuses on Captain Nemo’s racial identity and the impact British imperialism had on non-white populations. The character of Captain Nemo was played by James Mason in Disney’s classic 1954 movie but is now played by a Pakistani-British actor, in keeping with Jules Verne’s original character who was described as being the son of an Indian raj.
In addition, Nautilus focuses on Britain’s colonization of what is now India, showing Nemo as a captive of Britain’s East India Company.
Disney is reportedly trying to find new homes for both The Spiderwick Chronicles and Nautilus.
The cancellations are the latest sign that Hollywood’s attempts to repurpose successful intellectual property into woke streaming series are failing in spectacular fashion.
Amazon recently axed A League of Their Own after just one season. The series layered LGBTQQIAAP2S+ themes on top of Penny Marshall’s beloved 1993 movie. Paramount+ and Disney tried a similar approach with Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies and Willow, respectively, with both meeting their premature demise after one season.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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