Disney XD – home of TRON Legacy and soon to be home of Star Wars Rebels – has ordered an animated comedy adventure series called Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero. The series follows a kid from the suburbs, the titular Penn Zero, who inherits the cool job of part-time hero and leader of a time of good guys who zap to other worlds to save the day.
Campaign’s Thomas Middleditch will voice Penn, while Alfred Molina has been cast as part-time villain Rippen. Production on Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero is underway with the show being scheduled for a fall 2014 premiere. Follow the jump for more details.
DISNEY XD ORDERS ANIMATED COMEDY ADVENTURE SERIES "PENN ZERO: PART-TIME HERO"
Disney XD ordered "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero," an animated comedy adventure series that follows Penn Zero, a boy from the suburbs who inherits the coolest job ever – part-time hero and leader of a team of good guys who zap to other worlds to save the day. Production is underway for a scheduled fall 2014 premiere. The announcement was made today by Eric Coleman, Senior Vice President, Original Series, Disney Television Animation.
The series comes from the creative minds of Jared Bush ("All of Us," "Zootopia") and Sam Levine ("Wreck-It Ralph," "Bolt"). Bush, who serves as executive producer and writer for the series, has experience in both live-action and animation, as well as feature film and television development. Levine, an animation veteran who started his career in television before spending 12 years at Disney Feature Animation, is the series’ executive producer and director.
"Jared and Sam have created something wonderful — a series with just the right balance of comedy, adventure and heart," said Coleman. "With its multiple characters, changing locations and its lush art direction, this series is one of our most ambitious to date."
In "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero," Penn’s destiny came knocking unexpectedly, but that doesn’t stop him from jumping head first into his hero duties, while juggling his normal life in Middleburg. Every day after school, Penn teams up with his sidekick Sashi and wise man Boone to fight the evil part-time villain Rippen and save another world. Together, they will tackle everything from outer space and the Old West, to lands of enchantment and the ultimate challenge – suburbia.
The series features a talented voice cast that includes Thomas Middleditch ("The Campaign") as Penn and Adam DeVine ("Workaholics," "Pitch Perfect") as Boone. Both Middleditch and DeVine were featured in Variety’s "10 Comics to Watch" list. Additional voice talent includes Tania Gunadi ("Aaron Stone") as Sashi, Alfred Molina ("Monsters University," "Spider-Man 2") as Rippen and Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show") as Principal Larry, who moonlights as Rippen’s part-time minion.
About Disney XD
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 80 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 33 channels total, in 24 languages and 153 countries.