From The Jungle Book (2016) to the new Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), we are living in an age of Disney remakes. But while the feature films might be hit or miss with some fans, Disney+ might be digging up some old bones for a new generation in a new series.
At the time of writing, Disney is currently developing a TV series inspired by Louis Sachar's Holes, taking inspiration from both the novel and the 2003 Disney adaptation. While this writer would argue that the mouse got it right the first time, a report from Variety shares Disney's new plans for the beloved film.
Digging up the past
According to Variety,
"The potential show would be based on the book of the same name by Louis Sachar, which was previously adapted into a 2003 feature film by Walt Disney Pictures."
Walden Media, the film's original producers, is also returning to bring this adaptation to Disney+, which could also mean a lot of the old guard are returning to the project. However, the report also shares that this would be a reimagining of the 1998 novel, which could earn the ire of some fans.
Both Variety and What's On Disney+ share the following description of the show's plot.
“In this reimagining of the beloved 1998 book from Louis Sachar, a teenage girl is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.”
Those of us who have both read the book and seen the original Disney movie already know exactly what this "mysterious purpose" is, to find the lost treasure of Kissin' Kate Barlow. However, changing the gender of the lead character is often accompanied by an unforgiving stigma for any remake.
Already, the project has two strikes against it, but has Disney already doomed Stanley Yelnats and his family to the pits of Camp Green Lake? Perhaps, perhaps not. The idea of a female main character would delightfully call back to the final line of the film about the camp becoming a girl scout retreat, and it definitely has some comedic potential.
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas. Quite frankly, it's too early in the game to tell if the adaptation will sink or swim. In this writer's opinion, the producers need to take a long look at what made both the book and the film adaptation work in order to save face.
Did you dig Holes back in the day?