The global entertainment giant previously won production rights to the author’s romantic comedy “29 Dates”
Melissa de la Cruz, the New York Times best-selling author known for her “Blue Bloods” series, has partnered up with Disney Publishing Worldwide to develop original content that will be featured across the company’s multiple platforms, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Melissa de la Cruz Studio will work and collaborate with new voices, as well as established authors, for content creation and development.
The emphasis will be on creating original stories and uplifting writers of color, women writers and others from historically disenfranchised groups, a step in the global entertainment giant’s long-term efforts to embrace diversity.
The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of the Disney Publishing Group, has published many of de la Cruz’s works in the past, including the “Blue Bloods” series, “Witches of East End” and “The Beauchamp Family.”
“Disney Publishing has been home for many of my novels throughout the years and I am so thankful to continue the collaboration,” de la Cruz said in a statement. “I am beyond thrilled to forge a new journey with the team, full of even more incredible opportunities, nestled within The Walt Disney Company powerhouse. It is a dream come true.”
The 48-year-old Filipina American author is best known for her work in the young adult genre: “Blue Bloods,” a series of novels about vampires published in 2006; “The Ring and the Crown,” a historical fantasy epic; and “29 Dates,” a romantic comedy about a Korean exchange student, which is currently being developed into a feature-length film for streaming service Disney+.
De La Cruz’s “Isle of the Lost” series provided the basis for the wildly popular Disney Channel original movie “Descendants.” Currently, de la Cruz is also working on a novelization of the Disney+ television series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
“As an author within the Disney Publishing Worldwide family, we have seen firsthand how Melissa de la Cruz cultivates a story and develops content for multiple platforms and media,” said Emily Meehan, Disney Hyperion & New Intellectual Property vice president and long-time editorial publisher of de la Cruz’s work.
“Her strong creative vision will inspire the next generation of best sellers and content creators for entertainment beyond the pages of a book,” Meehan said.
