Disney+ Abandons One of Its Most Highly-Anticipated Shows

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Disney has cancelled another planned revival of one of its older, popular movies, this time a film from the 2000s that would have streamed on Disney+. While Disney+ has allowed the studio to successfully bring back some of its classic franchises – like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder – many similar projects are ultimately scrapped.

Disney has cancelled its planned TV series based on the popular young adult novel Holes, over 20 years after the original 2003 film starring Shia LaBeouf and Sigourney Weaver. Despite ordering and filming a pilot episode in January 2025 – directed by Jac Schaeffer of WandaVision and starring Greg Kinnear, Aidy Bryant, and Shay Rudolph – with Liz Pheng as showrunner, the project won’t be moving forward.

According to Variety, Disney has cancelled plans for a Holes TV series as of December 2025. The show was intended to be a fresh take on Louis Sachar’s book, but with a female main character sent to a desert boot camp instead of the original group of boys.

Disney has decided not to move forward with a reboot of Holes, adding to a growing list of promising revivals that haven’t made it to the screen since the launch of their streaming service.

Disney+ Reboots & Revivals That Were Shelved

Tiana

Disney had plans for a spin-off series based on the popular animated film, The Princess and the Frog. The show, titled Tiana, was first announced in December 2020, and would have continued the princess’s story with Anika Noni Rose returning to voice the character she originally played in the 2009 movie.

Disney unfortunately announced in March 2025 that they were canceling the Tiana project. This decision was due to a change in Disney’s overall plans and challenges in creating a series that met their quality standards at a reasonable cost.

At the time, Rose said she was “deeply disappointed” about Tiana’s cancellation.

Okoye Series

To expand the offerings on Disney+, Marvel Studios considered creating a series starring Danai Gurira as Okoye from Black Panther. The show would have centered around Wakanda’s highly skilled female warriors, the Dora Milaje.

As a big Marvel fan, I was really excited about a potential Okoye series, but it looks like that’s sadly off the table. Brad Winderbaum, a key executive at Marvel TV, basically confirmed in February 2025 (through TV Line) that the show isn’t moving forward anymore – it’s been shelved, which is a real disappointment.

Nova

Marvel fans have been eager to see the character Nova join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Initially, it looked like Nova might be introduced through a Disney+ series, following the pattern of shows like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. However, a Disney+ show for Nova now appears to be on hold. A Nova movie, though, is still a possibility.

Terror Inc.

Marvel Studios also developed a series called Terror Inc. that never moved past the planning stages. The show would have featured a complex character named Terror, an antihero who gains abilities by absorbing powers from others’ severed limbs. Details about Terror Inc. were scarce, but it was reportedly cancelled along with other planned Disney+ shows.

Strange Academy

Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and the world of magic he inhabits are now central to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because of this, Marvel previously considered creating a series called Strange Academy, which would have followed students at Doctor Strange’s school for young magic users.

Okay, so the Strange Academy series seems to be on pause right now, which is a bummer. But honestly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already dropped enough hints and built enough foundation for it that I still hold out hope. And I’m hearing whispers – just rumors, mind you – that some work on it is still happening quietly, even if it’s not being talked about publicly. Fingers crossed it eventually sees the light of day!

Lizzie McGuire

Along with hits like Disney’s Holes, the teen comedy Lizzie McGuire, starring Hilary Duff, was a defining show of the 2000s. After a break of more than 15 years, a sequel series seemed like a good idea, especially since Disney+ was successfully reviving other popular shows from its past.

The revival of Lizzie McGuire was initially promising, with plans for the show to follow the character as she dealt with life in her 30s. Filming even began in New York City in late 2019. However, when showrunner Terri Minsky left the project in early 2020, the series stalled and was ultimately canceled.

Rangers of the New Republic

Star Wars was a huge success for Disney+, playing a key role in launching the streaming service with the release of The Mandalorian. This first live-action TV series from the franchise was a big hit, leading to three seasons of sci-fi adventure and a new movie currently in development, The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Following the success of The Mandalorian, Disney planned to expand the story with a spin-off series called The Rangers of the New Republic, intended to star Gina Carano as Cara Dune. However, after Disney and Carano parted ways, the series was put on hold and is no longer being developed.

Tron TV Series

Although the movie Tron: Ares came out in 2025 and ultimately ended the Tron film series, Disney initially explored bringing the sci-fi story back as a television show, before the movie was made.

I was really disappointed to hear, through The Hollywood Reporter, that Disney quietly cancelled some projects they hadn’t even announced yet. One that especially bummed me out was a Tron series – I understood John Ridley was going to be involved, and I was so excited to see what he’d do with it!

Race to Witch Mountain

Disney+ was also considering bringing back the Race to Witch Mountain franchise. This sci-fi series centers on children from other planets trying to find a way home. Disney originally released four Witch Mountain movies between 1975 and 1995, and then made a new version in 2009 with Dwayne Johnson.

A Disney+ revival of the original series was being planned, but actress Bryce Dallas Howard announced in 2024 that the project was cancelled.

Muppets Live Another Day

Josh Gad, along with writers Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, had been working on Muppets Live Another Day, a new show that would have continued the story of the Muppets after the events of The Muppets Take Manhattan. However, The Hollywood Reporter announced in 2019 that the project was cancelled because of disagreements about the show’s direction and changes in leadership.

Book of Enchantment

Disney+ was developing a TV series called Book of Enchantment that would have explored the stories of its most famous villains. The show was based on Serena Valentino’s Villains book series, and would have featured characters like Maleficent, the Beast, Ursula, and Captain Hook.

In August 2019, Deadline announced the series was canceled during its early stages because of disagreements about its overall style and creative vision.

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2025-12-20 03:07