Disney has pulled the plug on its planned Holes reboot at Disney+, shelving the woke gender-swapped take on the classic story before it could move forward as a series.
According to Deadline, Disney+ is not proceeding with the Holes pilot, which reimagined Louis Sachar’s 1998 novel—and the 2003 movie adaptation—with a female lead.
The project had already gone deep into development, including a writers’ room and tax credits earmarked for the potential series, but Disney ultimately decided the reboot didn’t meet the bar.
What the Canceled Holes Reboot Was About
The new version of Holes centered on Hayley, played by Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club), a teenage girl sent to a detention camp where campers are forced to dig holes under the watch of a ruthless Warden, played by Greg Kinnear.
The cast also included Aidy Bryant, Flor Delis Alicea, Anire Kim Amoda, Noah Cottrell, Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke, and Maeve Press.
The pilot was written by Alina Mankin, with Liz Phang attached as showrunner. Executive producers included Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg, along with original Holes producer Mike Medavoy, Walden Media, and rights holder Shamrock. 20th Television was the studio.
High Expectations, No Series Order
Despite it claimed there were strong expectations inside Disney Branded Entertainment, the reboot failed to move forward. While tax credits had already been awarded, they were not title-specific and can be reassigned to other projects.
The decision marks another example of Disney stepping back from reboots that significantly alter established IP, especially as the company reassesses its Disney+ strategy.
Disney+ Shifts Focus
Disney Branded Television continues to lean into safer bets. Percy Jackson and the Olympians recently debuted its second season and has already been renewed for a third. Meanwhile, Disney has greenlit another pilot, Eerie Prep, based on the Eerie Elementary book series.
For now, Holes joins the growing list of Disney+ projects that never made it past the pilot stage.
