Conor Hanney – 2023 Pilot Finalist

Suspend Your Disbelief

A group of teens with special needs learns empathy through improv from the shittiest person in school.

A writer, lyricist, & composer, Conor Hanney has worked in 9 rooms for Disney and Netflix, freelancing 6 scripts and selling 10 songs. He recently did punch-ups on the new James Gunn hybrid COYOTE VS. ACME for Warner Bros, sold a pitch to Paramount, and his novel based on his experience with the neurodiverse community was bought pre-publication by Disney, where he was developing the series adaptation.

His neuro-inclusive short films have won 13 awards, and his musicals with a 1:1 neuro-ratio have won 13 awards and been licensed by Princeton. He is an adjunct professor at Notre Dame, runs a special needs baseball league, performs one-man improvised musicals, and founded/directs the first improv team with Down syndrome at The Second City. He performed a musical best man speech with the Austin Children’s Choir, and a feature article was written on his work here.