Spiderwick Chronicles Series That Disney Shot And Scrapped Has Been Rescued By Roku
One streaming service's trash is another's treasure. To that end, Roku has announced that it has nabbed the rights to "The Spiderwick Chronicles" TV series, which had previously been in the works at Disney+. And when we say in the works, we mean that the entire eight-episode series had already been filmed. Yet, Disney decided not to release it anyhow, as we learned back in August. But the show will see the light of day after all.
The adaptation of the acclaimed book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black will now be a Roku Original series that will debut on The Roku Channel in early 2024. No specific release date has been announced yet but expect more information, including a trailer, sooner rather than later. It's easy to see why Disney would have pursued this in the first place as the YA fantasy adventure novels are quite popular, with 20 million copies sold. As for the specifics of the story? The synopsis for the series reads as follows:
"'The Spiderwick Chronicles' follows the coming-of-age story of the Grace Family, as they move from New York to Michigan and into their family's ancestral home. Upon arrival, the family not only uncovers mysteries hidden inside their great grandfather's Spiderwick Estate, but also discovers a secret, fantastical world around them."
Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals at Roku Media, had this to say about it:
"It is an honor to bring 'The Spiderwick Chronicles,' a spectacular adventure-filled story led by the incredible Christian Slater and Joy Bryant, exclusively to The Roku Channel. We cannot wait to introduce this exquisitely crafted series, imagined by a world-class creative team, to millions of streamers."
Roku to the rescue
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but one imagines that an eight-episode fantasy series wasn't cheap to make. Disney spent $100 million on the "Willow" series which it scrapped and removed from Disney+, as one example. In this case, the series was co-produced by Paramount. Clearly, the latter had an interest in saving the investment. The Roku Channel is, admittedly, not as big of a player in the streaming game at this point, so an acquisition like this can go a long way. Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, had this to say in a statement:
"We are elated that 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' has found a new home and want to thank The Roku Channel for their passionate partnership. Our showrunner Aron Eli Coleite has crafted a beautiful series full of all the enchantment that made the books so beloved, and we can't wait for audiences to meet these wonderful characters."
Sadly, stuff like this has become more common. As streamers reckon with hard financial realities, removing shows and scrapping already-finished projects to save money is now an accepted part of the business. It seems "Batgirl" being scrapped last year was just the tip of the iceberg, rather than an isolated incident.
The cast for the series includes Joy Bryant (Helen Grace), Noah Cottrell (Simon Grace), Lyon Daniels (Jared Grace), Mychala Lee (Mallory Grace), Jack Dylan Grazer (Thimbletack), and Christian Slater (Mulgarath). Aron Eli Coleite, Kat Coiro, Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg, Julie Kane-Ritsch, and Grace Gilroy are on board as executive producers. Coiro also directed the first two episodes.
Look for "The Spiderwick Chronicles" on The Roku Channel in early 2024.