One of Disney’s Most Beloved Characters Is Getting a Live-Action Series After 73 Years
After more than a decade of stalled efforts to bring Tinker Bell to live action, Disney+ is developing a live-action drama series called Tink that will finally give the iconic fairy her own story.
Deadline was first to report the news.
The series is being produced through Disney’s 20th Television and is being treated as a high-priority project for the streaming platform.
The move marks a significant shift in approach. Rather than a feature film, the project will be a serialized television drama — a format that offers far more room to develop Tinker Bell as a central character with her own world.
What to Know About the Creative Team
Liz Heldens and Bridget Carpenter are writing and executive producing the series. The two are longtime friends who previously worked together on Friday Night Lights, the critically acclaimed character-driven drama.
Gary Marsh, the former President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Branded Television, is also executive producing. Quinn Haberman of Heldens’ production company Selfish Mermaid rounds out the executive producing team.
Heldens started her TV career on Boston Public and has built a resume spanning genres and formats. Her credits include Mercy, Deception, The Passage, Camp, The Big Leap, The Orville, and The Dropout.
She is currently co-showrunner on ABC’s Will Trent, which is in its fourth season — an active showrunning role that speaks to her ability to manage the complex demands of ongoing series production.
Carpenter got her start on Showtime’s Dead Like Me and has gone on to work on some of the most talked-about series in recent television history. Her credits include Parenthood, The Red Road, Westworld, Only Murders in the Building, and 11.22.63, the latter based on the Stephen King novel.
Carpenter is also a respected playwright with work produced at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
A Winding Development History
Tinker Bell was originally created by J.M. Barrie and first appeared in Disney’s 1953 animated film Peter Pan.
She has since become one of the most recognizable characters in the Disney canon — a symbol of magic and imagination that has transcended her origins as a supporting character.
But bringing Tinker Bell to live action as a central figure has been a prolonged and winding journey. A Tink live-action project has been in development in various forms for over a decade, according to Variety.
In 2010, the project was announced as a live-action romantic comedy with Elizabeth Banks attached to star. Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot, and McG were set as producers.
In 2015, Reese Witherspoon was attached to star in a live-action film version, signaling a new direction.
In 2021, the project was retooled after Marsh stepped down from his Disney role.
In 2023, Yara Shahidi played Tinker Bell in the live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy, though that project centered on the broader Peter Pan story rather than giving Tinker Bell her own narrative.
What We Don’t Know Yet
No casting details have been announced, and specific plot details for the series have not been revealed.
What is clear is that Disney is treating Tink as a significant addition to its Disney+ slate, with a creative team that carries substantial industry credibility.
BOTTOM LINE: After more than a decade of false starts involving Elizabeth Banks, Reese Witherspoon, and a feature film approach, Disney is betting that a serialized drama format and a team rooted in Friday Night Lights can finally crack the code on giving Tinker Bell her own live-action story — but casting and plot details remain unknown.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
