Laurence Fishburne and Disney Are Producing an Animated Series Adaptation of COOKIES & MILK
Disney is teaming up with producer Larence Fishburne to develop an animated series adaptation of Shawn Amos’ debut novel Cookies & Milk, which is about the birth of Famous Amos cookies.
The book is a semi-autobiographical story inspired by the childhood of Amos, “a Blues musician and the son of iconic Wallace ‘Wally’ Amos, Jr., founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand. The Cookies & Milk teleplay follows the summer adventures of harmonica-playing middle-schooler Ellis Johnson as he begrudgingly helps his wildly optimistic and quite possibly magical father open the world’s first cookie shop in 1970s Hollywood, California.”
Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television said in a statement, “It’s an absolute coup to bring Shawn Amos’s heartfelt, humorous book to Disney television screens and, with the guiding vision, credibility and track record of our Cinema Gypsy and Jesse James Films creative team, we’re looking forward to telling this authentic and relatable story about belonging, self-acceptance and forgiveness.”
Fisburne and producer Helen Sugland added, “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Shawn Amos, Ayo Davis and the talented team at Disney Branded Television. Shawn’s semi-autobiographical novel, Cookies & Milk, is partially based on his own experiences growing up as the son of Wally “Famous” Amos. This humorous and heartwarming exploration of summer fun and friendship seen through the eyes of a young black boy being raised by his divorced father is full of joy, self-discovery and a whole lot of unconditional love.”
Producers Jesse Murphy and Sears Bryant said, “We are so excited to have found the right home for this show with Disney Television Animation, Laurence and Helen. Shawn has created such a beautiful reimagining of his childhood in a narrative that we hope will universally connect with audiences on and off the page.”
Amos went on to say, “What a dream to see this Black kid from Hollywood become a Disney character. I wrote Cookies & Milk for my son to help him understand his family, his culture, and himself. I hope kids of all colors will see something of their own selves in Ellis. I’m so grateful to Helen, Jesse, and Laurence for championing my story. I know it’s in good hands with them and the deeply creative folks at Disney.”
This sounds like it will make for a fun series that will entertain audiences. I’ll be tuning in to watch it with a bag of Famous Amos cookies and milk.