Catherine Laga’aia and Deacon Phillippe to Star in Disney+ Pilot "Spaceship Earth"

Disney+ is preparing to take viewers on a journey through time with two rising young stars at the helm. Catherine Laga’aia, who will play the title character in Disney’s live-action Moana, and Deacon Phillippe have been tapped to star in Spaceship Earth, an upcoming Disney+ pilot inspired by the iconic EPCOT attraction at Walt Disney World.

What’s Happening:

• The project was first announced in August and comes from Jason Fuchs, Michael Waldron, and 20th Television. Details about the characters Laga’aia and Phillippe will portray are being kept under wraps, according to Deadline.
• Spaceship Earth follows a group of teenagers from different points in history who must work together when a mission to prevent an impending global catastrophe goes wrong. The unlikely team will face a threat as vast and mysterious as time itself, setting the stage for a science-fiction adventure that brings together characters from Earth’s past and future.
• The title draws inspiration from EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth attraction, the iconic geodesic sphere that serves as the park’s visual centerpiece. The attraction takes guests on a journey through the history of human communication, from the earliest forms of language and writing to the technological innovations that shape the modern world. 
• While the Disney+ pilot shares its name with the attraction, its time-spanning premise sets up a distinct narrative adventure.
• Fuchs and Waldron co-wrote the pilot, with Fuchs also serving as showrunner and executive producer through his Five Ten Productions banner. Waldron will executive produce alongside pilot director Lee Toland Krieger, Adam Fishbach of Fishbach Productions, and Adam Fasullo of Anomaly Pictures.
• Laga’aia landed the starring role of Moana opposite Dwayne Johnson following a worldwide casting search. The Australian actress previously appeared in Prime Video’s limited series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and is set to lead filmmaker Nick Annas’ upcoming thriller Crashout next year.
• Phillippe, meanwhile, is currently in production on Better Than the Movies, a Netflix romantic comedy adaptation of Lynn Painter’s bestselling young adult novel. He previously completed filming on Brother Save Us, an independent drama directed by Jesse Behrenwald, which marked his first leading role. He is also slated to appear in Frankie Shaw’s Miramax film 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank.
• With its time-travel premise, young ensemble, and creative team behind projects including Loki and IT: Welcome to Derry, Spaceship Earth offers Disney+ a new science-fiction concept rooted in the legacy of one of Walt Disney World’s most recognizable attractions. Further details, including additional casting and the pilot’s potential path to a full series, have not yet been announced.

More Disney+ News:

• VisionQuest will Hit Disney+ Earlier Than Planned
• Disney+ Nabs Amazon Exec for Key Production Role
• Animated "Artemis Fowl" Series Greenlit for Disney+ and Disney Channel