Dig It Up! Disney+ Is Making A Holes TV Series, And I’m Intrigued By The Major Tweak For This New Version

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If you’re part of the millennial generation like me, it’s likely that you watched the 2003 movie “Holes” – be it in theaters at its release or later on home media or Disney Channel. Based on Louis Sachar’s novel of the same name, Shia LaBeouf portrayed Stanley Yelnats, a young boy wrongly convicted and forced to dig holes as punishment at a correctional facility. Now, over two decades since its initial release, a “Holes” television series is being developed for Disney+ subscribers, and I’m curious about the significant changes that are planned for this new adaptation.

As per the official summary, the upcoming TV series of “Holes,” commissioned for a pilot, will shift focus from Stanley Yelnats to a teenage girl. Her name remains undisclosed, but her story revolves around her being sent to a labor camp where the ruthless warden makes the inmates dig holes for an unexplained reason, similar to the previous version. The creative team behind Disney+’s “Holes” includes Alina Mankin as writer and executive producer, Liz Chang serving as showrunner and executive producer, Drew Goddard as executive producer through Goddard Textiles, and Sarah Esberg also involved. In an interview with Variety, Goddard expressed the significant impact the original novel has had on him.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve always been passionate about books, thanks to my mom who has spent her entire life as a dedicated schoolteacher. In many ways, she’s served as an unofficial book scout for Goddard Textiles, keeping her finger on the pulse of what the kids are into, often ahead of everyone else.

Back in the late ’90s, she recommended a book to me called ‘Holes’. She was convinced that it would become a sensation, and boy, was she right! It’s been a long time since then, but I feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in sharing this story with Mrs. Goddard and her sixth-grade class today.

Drew Goddard commended the team behind Disney+’s Holes TV series for successfully embodying Louis Sachar’s distinctive essence. However, he chose not to disclose any more details about the project to preserve the surprise. I’m eager to find out if the main character in the show will vary from Stanley Yelnats in any way. For instance, will she still end up at Camp Green Lake due to a stolen sneaker accusation linked to baseball player Clyde “Sweet Feet” Livingston, or will her reason be different? Additionally, it’s plausible that Camp Green Lake might now consist of both boys and girls, which could lead to characters such as Zero, X-Ray, and Zig-Zag being portrayed by females.

Regardless, I’m eager to find out how the TV adaptation of “Holes” stacks up against its film counterpart. If it’s planned as a miniseries or could potentially span several seasons, that’s something I’d definitely like to know. The 2003 “Holes” movie was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, with Shia LaBeouf joined by Khleo Thomas, Brenden Jefferson, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Tim Blake Nelson, Henry Winkler, Eartha Kite, and others in the cast. Hearing about this update makes me want to replay that great song again.

More to come…

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2025-01-08 01:07