Disney+ is turning Louis Sachar’s popular 1998 novel ‘Holes’ and their 2003 film adaptation of the same name into a TV series with a significant change: the lead character will now be female. The streaming platform already confirmed a pilot order for the series, Deadline recently reported.
Alina Mankin is writing the series with Liz Phang as the showrunner. The new plot revolves around a teenage girl who, like the original male protagonist, is sent to a detention camp, where the campers have to dig holes for unknown reasons under the supervision of a ruthless warden.
The executive production team includes Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg from Goddard Textiles, the original movie’s producer Mike Medavoy, Walden Media (which backed the 2003 movie), and rights holder Shamrock. 20th Television, which has a first-look deal with Goddard, produces.
The original ‘Holes’ movie, directed by Andrew Davis and written by Sachar, starred Shia LaBeouf as Stanley, who was sentenced to 18 months at a juvenile detention facility. The film also featured well-known actors like Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson, and Eartha Kitt.
Disney has faced considerable backlash for its modern adaptations of classic films lately. Most recently, the studio’s upcoming live-action ‘Snow White,’ starring Rachel Zegler, received criticism for casting a Latina actress as the lead and changing the original love story to show a stronger and independent side of the character.
Many previously complained about similar issues in ‘The Little Mermaid’ remake, featuring Halle Bailey. Disney’s increasing portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community and ‘forced’ empowerment of female characters also brought along ‘woke’ accusations though CEO Bob Iger denied them, saying their goal is to entertain, not to send messages.
