Disney+ is not proceeding with its pilot Holes, a reimagining of Louis Sachar’s 1998 novel and the 2003 Disney movie adaptation with a female lead.
Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club) led the cast of the pilot, which also included Greg Kinnear and Aidy Bryant.
Expectations were high for the project, from Disney Branded Entertainment, with one of the tax credits awarded to Disney in August earmarked for the potential series. (They are not title-specific and can be reassigned.) But also high was the bar for the reboot, and a decision was ultimately made not to go forward with it.
The new Holes was to follow Hayley (Rudolph), a teenage girl sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden (Kinnear) forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.
Delis Alicea, Anire Kim Amoda, Noah Cottrell, Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke and Maeve Press also starred in the pilot, written by Alina Mankin, with Liz Phang set as showrunner,
Phang and Mankin executive produced with Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg of Goddard Textiles; the movie’s producer Mike Medavoy; Walden Media, which was behind the 2003 feature; as well as rights holder Shamrock. 20th Television was the studio.
On Disney+, Disney Branded Television and 20th Television are behind the popular fantasy-adventure series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which just debuted its second season and has already been renewed for a third.
Earlier this fall, Disney Branded Television gave a pilot green light to Eerie Prep, based on the Eerie Elementary children’s books, for Disney+ and Disney Channel.