A scene from "The Mighty Ducks," which once starred Jussie Smollett (right). Everett Collection
Nineties sports movie fans rejoice: “The Mighty Ducks” is getting a makeover.
The nostalgic hockey classic is being resurrected as a 10-episode TV spin-off on Disney+ starring Emilio Estevez, according to a recent announcement by the House of Mouse. The reboot comes 28 years after the original “Mighty Ducks” hit theaters in 1992.
“‘Once a Duck, always a Duck!” exclaimed Estevez, 57, who will be reprising his role as Gordon Bombay, the Ducks’ iconic coach, reports Variety. Starring alongside him will be Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”) and Brady Noon (“Good Boys”), and original “Mighty Ducks” creator Steve Brill will collaborate on the reboot.
Nonetheless, fans shouldn’t expect a cookie-cutter re-imagining. For one, the new Mighty Ducks are apparently the bad guys, not “Bad News Bears”-esque underdogs like in the original flick.
Also, it’ll be missing some familiar faces. Disgraced actor Jussie Smollett, 37, was in the original “Mighty Ducks” a lifetime before being indicted for his infamous 2019 attack. The former “Empire” actor played Ducks forward Terry Hall. Smollett’s publicist declined to answer The Post’s inquiry about whether he will reprise his role in the upcoming series.
And, fans aren’t likely to see Shaun Weiss, who played chunky hockey player Greg Goldberg in film. After a long struggle with substance abuse, the 41-year-old was arrested in California last month for allegedly breaking into a home while high on meth.
Boy, how the “Mighty Ducks” have fallen.
The new series will reportedly follow the ice-capades of 12-year-old Evan (Brady Noon) after he gets dropped from a formidable Mighty Ducks squad that’s gotten too big for their skates. Along with the help of his mom Alex (Graham), he must recruit a new team of gritty misfits to defeat his former teammates, in an apparent jab at the winning-obsessed US sports culture.
“It was an easy decision to bring back the Quack Attack with a modern and fresh twist,” said Agnes Chu, senior vice president of content at Disney+.
The “Mighty Ducks” reboot begins production in Vancouver over the next couple weeks, and is scheduled for release on Disney+ later this year.
Ref;nypost.com