A television adaptation of Stuart Gibbs’ bestselling Spy School book series is officially in development at Disney+, bringing the popular middle-grade novels to the screen with an impressive creative team that includes Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort production company, veteran producer Emma Watts, and 20th Television
- According to Deadline, the upcoming series will center on Ben Ripley, an ordinary middle school student with extraordinary career ambitions. Ben has always dreamed of working for the CIA, so when he’s recruited to attend a prestigious science-focused magnet school, he believes he’s finally taking the first step toward that goal. What he doesn’t expect is discovering that the school is actually a secret CIA training academy, where students are prepared for real-world espionage missions.
- The adaptation is being written by Chris Fedak, who will also executive produce. Fedak is no stranger to the world of spies, having co-created and served as showrunner for NBC’s beloved action-comedy series Chuck, which followed an unlikely hero pulled into the world of espionage. His résumé also includes creating ABC’s Deception, co-creating and executive producing FOX’s Prodigal Son, and writing the screenplay for Michael Bay’s action thriller Ambulance.
- The project also reunites Ryan Reynolds with longtime Hollywood executive Emma Watts, who serves as an executive producer alongside Maximum Effort and author Stuart Gibbs. Watts previously worked with Reynolds during her tenure at Twentieth Century Fox, where she championed the original Deadpool film and helped oversee some of the studio’s biggest franchises, including Avatar, Planet of the Apes, Kingsman, Maze Runner, Night at the Museum, and X-Men. Since leaving the studio, Watts has continued producing high-profile film and television projects independently.
- The series is based on one of the most successful middle-grade literary franchises of the past decade. Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and have become favorites among young readers thanks to their blend of action, mystery, humor, and coming-of-age storytelling. The franchise has expanded across multiple installments, following Ben as he navigates increasingly dangerous assignments while balancing friendships, school life, and the unpredictable world of international espionage.
- Beyond Spy School, Gibbs has built an extensive catalog of bestselling books, including the Funjungle, Moon Base Alpha, Charlie Thorne, and the Once Upon a Tim series, along with the DC Comics graphic novel series Bruce Wayne: Not Super. He has also worked as a screenwriter on films including See Spot Run, Repli-Kate, and Showdown. His newest nonfiction release, Spy School Secret Files: Totally True Tales From World War II, is scheduled to arrive later this year.
- Disney+ continues to invest heavily in adaptations of popular middle-grade and young adult novels, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians becoming one of the platform’s flagship original series.
- If greenlit, Spy School could provide Disney+ with another long-running adventure franchise aimed at younger audiences and families, combining espionage, comedy, and action in a format that has already proven successful on bookshelves.
- The project remains in development, and no casting, production timeline, or premiere date has been announced.
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