‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ Finds New Home on Roku
In May 2023, Disney began to purge Disney+ of many of the streaming service’s original series and specials.
The removal of content from Disney+ marked a significant shift in streaming strategy from Disney, which had previously looked to amass as much content as possible.
With the purge of fan-fan favorite series including Willow, Big Shot, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum, both viewers and creators were concerned that the shows would never see the light of day again.
For Disney, removing the nearly 50 shows allowed them to take a tax write-off of $1.5 billion dollars.
Perhaps more surprising than the removal of the Disney+ original series was Disney’s decision to cancel some shows before they even aired.
Canceled Before It Aired
One victim of Disney’s streaming strategy shift was The Spiderwick Chronicles.
The eight-episode series was based on the popular Tony DiTerilizzi and Holly Black young adult series. The books tell the story of a family who stumbles onto a book that reveals the location of a “secret fantastical world.”
Despite the fact that production of the series was completed, in August Disney decided to not bring Spiderwick to streaming.
Roku Acquires The Spiderwick Chronicles
Luckily, for fans who were excited to see The Spiderwick Chronicles brought to the small screen, Roku now acquired the rights to the show.
The Spiderwick Chronicles will now premiere on the Roku Channel in early 2024.
“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,” said Brian Tannenbaum, head of originals, Roku Media. “We cannot wait to introduce this exquisitely crafted series, imagined by a world-class creative team, to millions of streamers.”
A Happy Ending
The Spiderwick Chronicles was one of the rare instances where a show was created for Disney+ but produced by an outside studio, in this case, Paramount.
“We are elated that The Spiderwick Chronicles has found a new home and want to thank The Roku Channel for their passionate partnership,” said Nicole Clemens, President of Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series. “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.”
With Disney passing on the series, it is good to see The Spiderwick Chronicles find a new home.
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