A Gender-Swapped Reboot ‘Holes’ Pilot in the Works for Disney+
Disney+ is bringing Holes back to life with a new TV series adaptation, and the project has officially been ordered to pilot. The series will reimagine Louis Sachar’s beloved 1998 novel, but this time, it introduces a fresh twist by centering the story around a teenage girl.
Like the original, the new protagonist finds herself at a detention camp where the Warden forces campers to dig mysterious holes in the desert.
The original book followed Stanley Yelnats, a boy sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime he didn’t commit. Over time, Stanley uncovers his family’s deep connection to the camp and its secrets. Published in 1998, the novel became a massive success, winning the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal, and selling millions of copies worldwide.
Sachar also penned a sequel, Small Steps, and a companion book, Stanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake.
The upcoming series will be written and executive produced by Alina Mankin (Lodge 49, The Mindy Project, Anne with an E), with Liz Phang (Yellowjackets, Foundation, The Haunting of Hill House) serving as showrunner and executive producer.
Drew Goddard (The Martian, Daredevil) will also executive produce through his Goddard Textiles banner, alongside Sarah Esberg and Walden Media, which produced the 2003 movie adaptation. Additional executive producers include Mike Medavoy and Shamrock, the property rights holders.
The 2003 Holes movie starred Shia LaBeouf as Stanley Yelnats and featured a stellar cast, including Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, and Eartha Kitt. Directed by Andrew Davis, the film grossed $71 million globally against a $20 million budget and remains a fan favorite.
Drew Goddard shared a personal connection to the project, crediting his mother, a schoolteacher, for introducing him to the book in the late 1990s. “She always knows what kids are into,” he told Variety. “Holes was the first book she recommended, and it’s incredible to bring this full circle.”
No casting announcements have been made yet for the new series. Fans of the original story and the 2003 film are eager to see how this fresh take will reinterpret the themes and mysteries that made Holes a classic.
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