‘The Spiderwick Chronicles‘ series, initially canceled by Disney+, has been acquired by Roku for exclusive U.S. rights. Disney+ passed on the completed series after its announcement in November 2021, which was filmed in Canada from September 2021 to early 2023. The cancellation is part of Disney’s broader cost-saving and profit-focused reevaluation of streaming strategies, aligning with their content write-off announcement in May.
In a statement, Brian Tannenbaum, the head of originals at Roku Media, said, “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.” Tannenbaum added, “We cannot wait to introduce this exquisitely crafted series, imagined by a world-class creative team, to millions of streamers.”
Created by Aron Eli Coleite, the series is based on the book by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The show stars Christian Slater as the ogre Mulgarath, Jack Dylan Grazer as Thimbletack, Lyon Daniels as Jared Grace, Noah Cottrell as Simon Grace, Joy Bryant as Helen Grace, and Mychala Lee as Mallory Grace, with recurring roles played by Momona Tamada as Emiko and Alyvia Alyn Lind as Calliope.
The eight-episode series, adapted from Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s best-selling books, will debut on the Roku Channel in early 2024.
Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, said, “We are elated that The Spiderwick Chronicles has found a new home and want to thank The Roku Channel for their passionate partnership.” Clemens added, “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.”
‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ is executive produced by showrunner Coleite, along with Kat Coiro, who directs the first two episodes. The series is also supported by executive producers Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg, Julie Kane-Ritsch, and Grace Gilroy. It’s produced by Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television, with Paramount Global Content Distribution handling international distribution.
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