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Forget she-who-shall-not-be-named and the boy in the cupboard, Animorphs, one of our of our favourite queer coded teen sci-fi series could be getting reboot.

And the author behind it is an out and proud trans advocate.

The wild teen book sci-fi series was a hit in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and it even had a short, albeit terrible, television run.

Now the series it set for a second chance.

Animorphs could be heading to Disney+

For anyone who grew up in the late 90’s and early 2000’s the Animorphs book covers have always left an imprint in our minds.

The series, which spawned over 50 books before it wrapped, was famously known for the eerily creepy covers that featured teenagers slowly morphing into a series of animals. The books sold over 35 million copies worldwide and have remained a core childhood memory for many.

 

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In 1998 the series was adapted into a short lived television series, which despite a bold attempt at bringing the story to life, saw it only remain on air for two seasons.

Now there is new hope for the Animorphs series with news that Disney+ is set to reboot the franchise, it follows news several years ago that a movie project was in development before it was eventually scrapped after series authors Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant walked away from the project.

has reported that the series is in early development stages with a variety of names and production companies attached to the project including Ryan Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler who are attached as part of Proximity Media, who have a TV deal with Disney.

In response to the news Katherine Applegate posted a tentatively hopeful statement online.

“Michael Grant and I have concerns that the project is under-resourced” she stated.

“But one of the producers, Sev Ohanian, is a friend, as well as a genuine Animorphs fan. If anyone can make it work, he can. Fingers crossed.”

Animorphs: A beacon for queer and trans kids

Animorphs followed five teenagers, Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachael and Tobias who discovered a secret infiltration of aliens on Earth.

The Yeerks, small slug like creatures, had the ability to crawl inside the human ear canal and take over the brain of unwilling humans, turning them into controllers, enslaving them one by one with the rest of the population unaware.

However a chance encounter at a construction site between Jake and his friends one night leads them to discover a dying alien, an Andalite, who gifts them the power to “morph” into any animal they can touch, for just two hours at a time. This parting gift he gives before is death is the only weapon the teenagers are left with as they battle in secret against the Yeerks, whilst trying to stay undetected and balance their normal lives.

Not knowing who might be a controller they must fight in secret or risk being discovered and captured by the Yeerks.

The books went on to explore some dark content and themes as the characters undertook a grizzly war, being forced to face the realities of life as guerilla solders as teenagers and examine their morals in many dark and unsettling ways.

The books were a hit for teenagers at the time, but also the queer coded and trans positive messaging within the stories provided a space of hope and identity for many young queer and trans readers.

In particular the story of Tobias, who becomes trapped in the body of a hawk before being granted the ability to temporarily return to his human form for just two hours at a time, held particular resonance for young trans readers.

The idea of the characters being able to transition and change their appearance held resonance, as well as many other unspoken and queer coded aspects of other characters and storylines within the series.

To this day the series still holds a cult following online with over 23,000 members a part of the group sharing their stories and no longer in circulation whilst new adaptations of the books as graphic novels have been released.

When group members were asked by The Star Observer about the importance of trans and queer narratives within the books the outpouring from readers was immense.

“Tobias was incredibly important to me as a kid that was both trans and from an abusive family” wrote one fan Aaron.

“He found his way out, and though his past marked him as different and scarred, he found his chosen family and they all stuck together.ÌýÌý±õ’mÌýafab, and as someone who went through the wrongÌýpubertyÌýI am totally relate to the feeling of being aÌýnothlit, stuck in a different form.”

“The idea of doing that intentionally, of that painful change being something that leads to greater strength later on, to unique gifts, is a large part of what sustained me through it all.”

 

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“I had no resources or language to understand my gender dysphoria growing up, or really any way to articulate why I just felt “wrong” wrote another fan.Ìý

“In the last few years I’veÌýreread the series, listened to podcasts, and read otherÌýqueerfolks‘ analysis on how it affected them growing up, andÌýdefinitely sawÌýa lot there that I FELT but could never word before. I loveÌýall ofÌýthe characters forÌýdifferent reasons, but Tobias was and always will be my most loved because of the “trapped in the wrong body” crisis, andÌýI’mÌýstill deeply comforted to know thatÌýI’m not the only one.”

For another reader Tony the emphasis on secrecy struck a chord the most.

“One aspect of Animorphs that I think really resonated with queer kids of the ’90s was the emphasis on secrecy.”

Ìý“It’s easy, on a surface level, to discuss how they literally changed their bodies and how Tobias in particular experienced body dysphoria.”

Ìý“But there was more than that.ÌýÌýIt was dangerous for them to tell anyone about their powers; it was dangerous for them to have those powers; they had to do it quietly and alone. I think more than the body transformation, the themes of being an “outside” or harboring a secret or even feeling “alien” were very, very on-the-nose themes for queer and trans kids.”

Katherine Applegate: A proud Trans Ally

Whilst Animorphs and the world Applegate and her husband created served as a safe space for trans youth out in the world, Applegate later revealed that things were closer to home for her as well.

In 2022 Applegate publicly revealed to the world that they have a trans daughter, who she has loving spoken out in support of. Whilst she has kept details of her life private, she is often seen publicly wearing shirts supporting trans rights. A stark contrast to other internationally successful children’s writers stance on trans rights.

This support wasn’t lost on her fans too, particularly those disenfranchised with the views held by JK Rowling.

“I can barely express the heartbreak I experienced years ago as a deeply indoctrinated HP fan when I finally embraced my identity and came out to the world, only to discover someone I idolized as a writer and as a human that created the series wouldn’t even recognize me as a man were I to ever meet her” another Animorphs fan wrote.Ìý

“To find out that she doesn’t believe I’m valid, and that my community is nothing but a target for hatred. It was physically crushing, and still is. I literally have had therapy sessions where I’ve tried to reconcile that feeling, and it hurts. Someone put this incredible universe of fiction into the world, and then lashed out at those of us who found it to be a fantastical outlet of comfort. I just can’t understand that.”

ÌýBut while that disappoint for Rowling runs deep, the support and love from Applegate was transformative for them.Ìý

“But KA opened her arms to us, showed us that she sees us, and loves us. And we are worthy of love, protection, and happiness. I can’t thank her enough for that, and I know I would try if I could” they wrote.Ìý

“But all I’d be able to do is cry and ask her for a hug because who she is and what she’s given, and still gives, to the world is so important. Especially for growing minds. She wrote about a list of life-issues, directly or indirectly, in a way that shows kids and young adults are capable of choices and conversations that most adults assume they aren’t.”

Needless to say fans of the series are jumping at the news that reboot is in the works and hopefully for a successful delivery.