When asked who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me, there’s only one correct response: M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E.
That, of course, is the theme song from Disney‘s “The Mickey Mouse Club,” and if things work out TV viewers could be hearing it once again.
Disney Lauching a Reboot of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’
Variety is reporting that Disney is eyeing a reboot of the TV classic, which originally debuted way back in 1955.
The show was rebooted in the late 1970s as a syndicated series boasting a disco version of the iconic theme, and then again in 1989. That version — dubbed “The All New Mickey Mouse Club” — proved to be wildly successful with ’90s kids, and ran until 1996.
A New Version For A New Generation
Disney has commissioned a pilot, casting a new slew of youngsters culled from the current-day crop of young talent.
The new cast includes three stars of Disney Channel’s upcoming “Camp Rock 3” TV movie — Hudson Stone, Casey Trotter and Brooklynn Pitts — as well as Erianthe Akaata (“Young Rock”), Scarlett London Diviney (“The Lion King”), Michael Cash (“Black Rabbit”), Yonas Kibreab (“Elio”), Varonica Mitchell, Kauani, Scarlett Grace Petty and Carter Barnes.
The pilot will be shot later this month. If Disney Channel execs like what they see and it winds up ordered to series, this new iteration of “The Mickey Mouse Club” will showcase the talents of its teen stars while appealing to a young fanbase.
A Launching Pad for Nikki DeLoach, Britney Spears and More
The 1990s version of “The Mickey Mouse Club” proved to be a launching pad for a dizzying array of future stars, going on to make their respective names in various areas of showbiz.
While the show’s most popular alum is arguably Britney Spears — who was cast in the show when she was just 11 years old — it also kicked off the career of future Hallmark fan favorite Nikki DeLoach.
In addition, other stars who got their big break from “The Mickey Mouse Club” include Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, JC Chasez, Keri Russell and En Vogue’s Rhona Bennett.
Nikki DeLoach Watched Her Childhood Co-Stars Soar to Stardom
While DeLoach is beloved by viewers as one of Hallmark Channel’s go-to stars, she’s admitted that she initially struggled with watching her co-stars catapult to superstardom.
“I came out of the ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ and my peers became the most famous people in the world when I was struggling to buy produce,” she said while appearing on the “Blonde Highlights Podcast” (via People).
“It was really hard because I was like, ‘Wait, God’ — I’m a big faith person — I was like, ‘Did you forget about me? I’m just as talented. I work just as hard,'” DeLoach continued. “Like, how is it that every single one of my friends, Britney, Justin, Ryan, Christina, like they all, you know, became so successful so fast?” she continued.
As a result, this led her to grapple with her own self-esteem issues, admitting she developed “a very unhealthy relationship” with her self-image.
“The industry does that to you. It tells you that you’re only important when you’re working,” she added on the podcast. “People only want you when you’re working. And that is true. That’s how this industry treats you. It can really do so much damage to you spiritually, mentally, emotionally.”
Going through some serious health crises, she explained, helped her to put it all in perspective. “When you go through a life and death experience, you know, you get really clear on a lot,” she said, adding, “If God told me I was needed somewhere else, I would walk away to live out my purpose. Once I could wrap my heart around that, I actually felt successful in my life.”
