Disney has tapped the three-time Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq as the executive producer for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, an upcoming animated series based on Marvel Comics’ characters of the same name. The series follows 13-year-old prodigy Lunella Lafayette (Diamond White) and her 10-ton T-Rex called Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore) as they protect New York City’s Lower East Side from peril.
Incorporating the various cultures and communities of New York, Saadiq will oversee composition and musical underscore that will feature “hip-hop, pop, R&B, jazz, Jamaican, funk, Latin” musical styles. The multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer expressed that he is looking forward to helping the series’ creative team. “I am proud to be working with Disney Branded Television on this groundbreaking new series featuring a female African American Marvel superhero, who is smart, funny, compassionate and a born leader.”
Saadiq has previously co-written original music for the 2017 film Mudbound and the 2021 feature The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which both earned Golden Globe nominations. He also produced and co-written hits for renowned artists, including Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Mick Jagger, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Solange Knowles, Mary J. Blige, TLC, and John Legend, among others. In addition, he has been nominated for approximately 20 accolades in the entertainment industry, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and 15 Grammy Awards. Aside from taking part in the musical side of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Saadiq has recently produced scores for National Geographic’s highly acclaimed limited series Genius: Aretha. Saadiq was one of the most active musicians of his time and was also a former member of Tony! Toni! Toné!: a popular soul/R&B during the 1980s up to the 1990s.
Along with White and Tatasciore, the series voice cast also includes Alfre Woodard, Sasheer Zamata, Jermaine Fowler, Gary Anthony Williams, and Laurence Fishburne. The show is produced by Disney Television Animation, with Fishburne, Helen Sugland’s Cinema Gypsy Productions, and Steve Loter serving as executive producers.
The news was revealed during the Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur conference at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans. The Disney-launched activity, running from June 30 to July 3, includes panel meetings, screening, and meet-ups with the stars.
The series is scheduled to premiere in 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+. Watch the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur music featurette below:
