Disney+ Scraps HOLES Reboot Series After Pilot Phase
Disney+ has decided pull the plug on it planned series reboot of Holes, ending development on a series that had been positioned as a fresh take on Louis Sachar’s beloved 1998 novel and the 2003 film adaptation.
The project had advanced far enough to produce a pilot and assemble a full creative team, but the streamer ultimately chose not to proceed with the series.
The new version of Holes was developed as a reimagining with a female lead and a interesting reworked perspective on the story. Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club), was set to star in the series as Hayley, a teenage girl sentenced to a harsh detention camp where digging holes all day is part of a punishment that hides a deeper agenda.
Greg Kinnear was cast as the camp’s ruthless Warden, with Aidy Bryant also starring in the pilot. The story was repeortedly set in a post-apocalyptic future and the twist is that the camp is near Las Vegas, which is now buried, and the reason the holes are being dug is because the Warden is looking for something in the buried Vegas.
Ultimately, the creative bar for revisiting such a well known property proved to be high, and the decision was made to scrap the reboot rather than move it forward.
The cast also included Flor Delis Alicea, Anire Kim Amoda, Noah Cottrell, Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke and Maeve Press all appearing in the pilot.
The pilot episode was written by Alina Mankin and directed by Jac Schaeffer, with Liz Phang serving as showrunner.
The cancellation comes at a time when Disney+ is being very selective with its original scripted programming. While Holes did not make the cut, the streamer continues to find success with other literary adaptations.
Disney and 20th Television are also behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which recently debuted its second season and has already secured a third.
For fans who were curious to see how Holes might be reinterpreted for a new generation, the news is a disappointment. For now, the original novel and the 2003 film remain the definitive versions of the story, while this reboot joins the growing list of ambitious pilots that never made it past the digging stage.
Source: Deadline