Out Of My Mind Movie in the Works at Disney+

A beloved young-adult novel is about to head to Disney+. On Wednesday, it was announced that the streaming service is developing a movie adaptation of Out of My Mind, the 2010 novel from Sharon M. Draper. The project will be directed by No Man of Gods' Amber Sealey, with a script from On the Basis of Sex's Daniel Siepleman. The film will star newcomer Phoebe-Rae Taylor as Melody Brooks, a multitalented 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Taylor was cast in the role following a nationwide search.

In Out of My Mind, Melody has a quick wit and sharp mind, but due to her being non-verbal and using a wheelchair, she is not given the same academic opportunities as her classmates. However, when a young educator notices her student's untapped potential, she encourages Melody to participate in mainstream education, where greater successes – and challenges – await.

"There's a sense of exhilaration here as we embark with this very well-regarded creative team in adapting Sharon Draper's candid, beautiful and powerful book that tells a universally relatable story about both following your dreams and having an impact in this world," Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television, announced on Wednesday. "It's also a wonderful opportunity for us to center the lived experiences of people with disabilities."

"I'm thrilled to tell this sophisticated, coming-of-age story that is unlike any we've seen before and to have such wonderful collaborators in Peter Saraf, Participant, Big Beach, Daniel Stiepleman and Disney," Sealey said in a statement. "In Phoebe-Rae Taylor, we have found an amazing actress, and I can't wait for the world to meet her. My hope is that Out of My Mind will be an important part of disability awareness and inclusion and will expand the conversation surrounding diversity and disability."

Peter Saraf will produce along with Dan Angel and Participant. Executive producers are Big Beach's Michael B. Clark and Alex Turtletaub, Participant's founder Jeff Skoll and Robert Kessel, along with Tom Mazza, David Calver Jones and Brian Gott. From the earliest sstages of development, the production team on the project has included multiple people from the cerebral palsy and AAC (augmentative and alternative communication device) community.

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