Eva Longoria and Disney Branded Television are developing a sci-fi comedy series based on the award-winning book Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Cuban-American author Carlos Herndandez.
The series centers on the main characters in the book’s title, Sal Vidón and Gabi Real, two elementary school children who travel through portals to different times and universes.
Published by Disney-Hyperion’s Rick Riordan Presents imprint just two years ago, the book received the American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Award in 2020 for its portrayal of Latinos.
Sal, the son of a scientist, acquired the ability to access other universes after toying with his father’s experiments. At school, he recruits Gabi to accompany him in his search for his deceased mother in alternate realities. The duo discovers its meddling with other universes carries a high risk to their own world.
The series is being developed by both Longoria and Ben Spector through their company UnbeliEVAble. Disney Branded Television is a content engine for the streamer Disney+ and Disney Channels.
(Credit: author’s courtesy)
The Disney project also has another prominent Hollywood Latino attached to it, Nelson Soler, writer and executive producer of the upcoming Disney Channel’s Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion and Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Soler’s other production credits include series such as CW’s Life Sentence, ABC’s Once Upon a Time, VH1’s Single Ladies and ABC’s Lincoln Heights.
The series development is under the helm of Ayo Davis, Disney Branded Television’s executive vice president of Creative Development and Strategy. “It’s exciting to work with Eva and Ben on such an imaginative story full of heart and adventure that truly feels authentic in its storytelling and representation of characters,” says Davis. “Carlos Hernandez’s heartwarming and humorous book is the perfect addition to our slate of development and is in expert hands with Eva and Ben’s production team.”
Turning a Disney literary product into a Disney series pleases Tonya Agurto, senior vice president and publisher of Imprint and IP Development for Disney Publishing Worldwide. “We’re thrilled to see Carlos Hernandez’s ‘Sal & Gabi’ leap to the next level of development within The Walt Disney Company,” she says. “It’s as if we took a page from the book, and our wish was pulled from the multiverse!”
Sal & Gabi Break the Universe isn’t Hernandez’s only book under the Disney brands. The award-winning book’s sequel, Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, is also published by Disney-Hyperion’s Rick Riordan Presents.