Disney+ Developing ‘Tink’ Drama Series Centered on Peter Pan Character Tinker Bell
Disney+ is developing Tink, a live-action drama series centered on Tinker Bell, the iconic figure from the Peter Pan universe, as the studio continues to revisit one of its most recognizable creations. The project is being written and executive-produced by Liz Heldens and Bridget Carpenter.
The series is in development through Disney’s 20th Television division and is described internally as a high-priority project for the streaming platform, according to reports from Deadline and Variety. Former Disney Channels Worldwide president and Disney Branded Television chief creative officer Gary Marsh is attached as an executive producer alongside Quinn Haberman of Heldens’ production company, Selfish Mermaid.
Tinker Bell first appeared in Disney’s 1953 animated film Peter Pan, which introduced the small winged companion who travels with Peter in Neverland. The role traces back to J.M. Barrie’s early twentieth-century stories, which have been adapted repeatedly for stage, film, and television. Over the decades, the character has become one of Disney’s most recognizable creations, appearing across films, television projects, merchandise lines, and theme park branding.
Disney has explored several attempts to build a standalone live-action project around the fairy in the past. In 2010, the studio announced a romantic comedy centered on Tinker Bell with Elizabeth Banks attached to star. A later version emerged in 2015 as a feature film project with Reese Witherspoon attached to play the role, though that version did not move forward. More recently, actor Yara Shahidi portrayed Tinker Bell in the 2023 live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy.
The new project also reflects a broader shift in how major studios are adapting familiar intellectual property for streaming platforms. Characters once developed primarily for theatrical films are increasingly revisited in serialized formats, where writers have more space to expand backstory, tone, and character perspective over multiple episodes.
The series reunites Heldens and Carpenter, who previously worked together on the television drama Friday Night Lights. Heldens later created series including Mercy, Deception, and The Passage, and currently serves as co-showrunner on ABC’s crime drama Will Trent. Carpenter’s credits include ParenthoodWestworldOnly Murders in the Building, and the Hulu limited series 11.22.63, based on the Stephen King novel.
Marsh’s involvement connects the project to Disney’s internal leadership history as well. During his tenure overseeing Disney Channels Worldwide and Disney Branded Television, he helped shape much of the company’s family and franchise programming strategy. After stepping down from that role in 2021, he moved into producing under a Disney-backed arrangement, with Tink among the properties he has continued developing.
Disney has not released plot details for the series, and no casting or production timeline has been announced. The project remains in development at Disney+.
