Dan Hernandez to Co-Pen Film Featuring Disney’s Iconic Dragon Figment

It’s no figment of Dan Hernandez’s imagination…

The 38-year-old Latino film and television writer and producer will co-write Disney’s upcoming film featuring its iconic small purple dragon Figment alongside Benji Samit.

Dan HernandezFigment serves as the mascot of Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion in Orlando.

The feature hails from Seth Rogen’s Point Grey.

Figment was created by Walt Disney Imagineers Tony Baxter and Steve Kirk, among other collaborators, in 1983, the same year it made its debut in the Epcot ride Journey Into Imagination. Figment is the embodiment of the imagining process— a figment of your imagination.

Although one of Disney’s more obscure characters, Figment has a devoted fanbase that has ensured his role at the park is never diminished. Various attempts to remove the ride or decrease his presence have been met with loud protests.

Today, he is the star of the latest version of the ride Journey Into Imagination with Figment.

The feature will not be Figment’s first time on the big screen, however.

He made cameo appearances in 2015’s Inside Out and 2019’s Toy Story 4.

The writing team of Hernandez and Samit penned 2019’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu and 2021’s The Addams Family 2 and developed the upcoming Hulu animated series Koala Man, premiering in 2023.

Other notable credits include Apple’s Central ParkThe Tick for Amazon and the One Day at a Time reboot.

Scarlett Estevez to Star in Disney Channel’s Superhero Luchador Action-Comedy “Ultra Violet & Blue Demon”

Scarlett Estevez is ready to luchar

Disney Channel has given a series order to Ultra Violet & Blue Demon, a superhero coming-of-age luchador action-comedy from a girl’s point of view, starring the 13-year-old Latina actress as Ultra Violet and Mexican luchador and professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. as a version of himself.

Scarlett Estevez 

The project had received a cast-contingent pilot order in January 2020, and now has received a formal series greenlight.

The series, which introduces a relatable Mexican American family with a very special legacy, will showcase a predominately Latinx main cast and producing team.

The series unfolds as a magical luchador mask selects 13-year-old Violet (Estevez) to become Ultra, the superhero successor to her uncle, who is the famous Mexican wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and a superhero-in-disguise. Ultra begins her own secret superhero training with her uncle, all while having to navigate the ups and downs of middle school. As they start to work together, Uncle Blue realizes he can learn a few things from Ultra’s modern Gen-Z take on crime-fighting.

“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”

Also starring are Marianna Burelli as Violet’s mother, Nina; Juan Alfonso as Violet’s father, Sebastian; Brandon Rossel as Violet’s brother, Miguelito; Zelia Ankrum as Violet’s best friend, Trudy; and Bryan Blanco as Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate Enrique Diaz-Diaz.

Blue Demon Jr. will co-executive produce.

The pilot episode was written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit and directed by Alejandro Damiani.

Estevez’s previous credits include Lucifer, Bunk’d, Daddy’s Home and Daddy’s Home 2.

Dan Hernandez Lands on Variety‘s 10 Screenwriters to Watch List

It’s turning out to be a banner year for Dan Hernandez

The Latino writer/producer has been named to Varietys 2019 class of 10 Screenwriters to Watch.

Dan Hernandez

Hernandez is recognized alongside Benji Samit for co-penning the action-adventure comedy Pokémon Detective Pikachu, starring Justice Smithand Ryan Reynolds.

Hernandez and Samit join an honorees list that includes Krysty Wilson-Cairns(1917),Chinonye Chukwu(Clemency),Stephany Folsom(Toy Story 4), Shay Hatten(John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum), Amanda Idoko(Breaking News in Yuba County), Shia LaBeouf(Honey Boy), Andrew Lanham(Just Mercy), Edward Norton(Motherless Brooklyn), and Cat Vasko (Queen of the Air).

Previous honorees include Oscarwinners Jennifer Lee(Frozen),Geoffrey Fletcher(Precious),Charlie Kaufman(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Julian Fellowes(Gosford Park) as well as Emmywinners Lena Dunham(Girls),Evan Goldbergand Seth Rogen(This Is the End), Ken Daurioand Cinco Paul(Despicable Me), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci(Star Trek), and Danny Strong(The Butler).

Hernandez’s other writing credits include The Tick1600 PennOne Day at a Timeand Super Fun Night.

Hernandez to Write Paramount Pictures’ “The Villas,” Inspired by Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite”

Dan Hernandez is livin’ the suite life…

Paramount Pictures has selected the Cuban American writer and Benji Samit to pen The Villas.

Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit

The project, produced by Atlas Entertainment, is loosely inspired by Neil Simon’s play and 1971 film Plaza Suite.

Similarly, the film centers on several relationship stories all taking place in a hotel. This time, though, the location is a group of neighboring high-roller villas in Las Vegas, similar to The Mansion at the MGM Grand.

Hernandez and Samit recently wrote and produced on the first season of Netflix’s One Day At A Time, and are currently writing on the ABC/Sony Television pilot Come Together.

The scribes started writing together as undergraduates at Brown University.