Disney+ Cancels Gender-Swapped Holes Adaptation Despite Pilot Order

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Disney+ has decided not to proceed with a planned series based on the popular young adult novel Holes. While the show received a pilot order earlier this year, it won’t be moving forward. The book, written by Louis Sachar and published in 1998, was previously adapted into a movie in 2003.

The story centers on Stanley Yelnats IV, a teen who’s unjustly sent to Camp Green Lake as punishment. There, he and the other boys are forced to dig holes in the desert, and this digging uncovers surprising truths about Stanley’s family history and the real story behind the camp.

Variety reports that the planned TV series, which would have featured a female lead instead of the original male character, has been cancelled. The show was to center on a teenage girl named Hayley, to be played by Shay Rudolph.

I was so impressed with the cast of Disney+’s Holes! Greg Kinnear was perfect as the Warden, and Aidy Bryant was hilarious as the camp counselor, Sissy. Noah Cottrell really brought Kitch, the kitchen worker, to life. And the girls in camp with Hayley – Flor Delis Alicea as Queenie, Anire Kim Amoda as Thumbelina, Iesha Daniels as Mars, Sophie Dieterlin as Sticky, Alexandra Doke as Eyeball, and Maeve Press as Shrimp – they were all fantastic and really made the story complete.

Originally, Liz Phang, a writer and producer for Yellowjackets, was set to lead the show, while Jac Schaeffer, the creator of WandaVision and Agatha All Along, was going to direct the first episode. Alina Mankin was also on board as a writer. The show’s location, initially planned as Camp Green Lake, was later changed to Camp Yucca.

The 2003 film, directed by Andrew Davis, featured Shia LaBeouf as Stanley, alongside Khleo Thomas as Zero, Sigourney Weaver as the Warden, Jon Voight as Mr. Sir, Tim Blake Nelson as Mr. Pendanski, Patricia Arquette as Kate Barlow, Dulé Hill as Sam, and Eartha Kitt as Madame Zeroni.

Louis Sachar’s Holes is a highly praised and popular book for young readers, winning both a National Book Award and a Newbery Medal and often appearing on school reading lists. The 2003 movie adaptation, also written by Sachar, was well-liked by audiences and stayed true to the book. It was also a financial success, earning $71.4 million worldwide on a $20 million budget.

Because the book and the earlier movie with Shia LaBeouf were so popular, there was a lot of anticipation for the Disney+ version of Holes. While the new series was trying something different, the first episode probably didn’t live up to those high expectations. Disney+ decided to cancel the project as they’re now being more careful about which existing stories they develop further for their streaming service.

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2025-12-13 17:08