Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service

ENTERTAINMENT

Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service

Published Monday, February 1, 2021 8:42PM EST

Pedestrians look up at a mural by artist Shane Grammer of the late actor Chadwick Boseman's character T'Challa from the 2018 film "Black Panther," Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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LOS ANGELES -- The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service.

A TV series set in the "Black Panther" kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media company.

Coogler wrote and directed 2018's "Black Panther," a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The actor died in August of cancer.

Coogler "brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment," Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger said in a statement. The company looks forward "to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team."

A time frame for the series wasn't immediately announced.

The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.