Adapting to the streaming era has bred some casualties. As studios move past the honeymoon period for their monthly subscription services, controversial cost cutting measures have been implemented. The most infamous example came in the form of Batgirl, a movie that completed its production ahead of an anticipated streaming premiere on Max just for it to be cancelled by Warner Bros. Discovery. WBD deemed the project to be too expensive for streaming but too risky for a theatrical run. While the money was already spent on production, WBD saw biting that bullet as costing them less money, as not airing it saved dollars on marketing and other post-production means.
The Batgirl situation proved to be far from an outlier within the entertainment industry. Disney+ executed a similar maneuver on The Spiderwick Chronicles, axing the streaming series based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same name despite filming already being finished.
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The Spiderwick Chronicles Finds New Home
The Spiderwick Chronicles will see the light of day.
As announced in a press release, Roku acquired the “exclusive, premiere U.S. rights” to The Spiderwick Chronicles. The Roku Channel will premiere the series in early 2024.
Many will recognize Roku as the physical device used to access streaming services and apps on a television. In 2017, Roku launched its own streamer, The Roku Channel, which gives users access to both free and premium entertainment on Roku devices.
“It is an honor to bring The Spiderwick Chronicles, a spectacular adventure-filled story led by the incredible Christian Slater and Joy Bryant, exclusively to The Roku Channel,” Head of Originals, Roku Media Brian Tannenbaum said. “We cannot wait to introduce this exquisitely crafted series, imagined by a world-class creative team, to millions of streamers.”
This series represents the second attempt at bringing The Spiderwick Chronicles to the screen. A film adaptation arrived in 2008. While it holds a decent 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) left a lot to be desired with fans and did not completely crush at the box office.
“We are elated that The Spiderwick Chronicles has found a new home and want to thank The Roku Channel for their passionate partnership,” President of Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series said Nicole Clemens. “Our showrunner Aron Eli Coleite has crafted a beautiful series full of all the enchantment that made the books so beloved, and we can’t wait for audiences to meet these wonderful characters.”
The Spiderwick Chronicles will stream on The Roku Channel in early 2024.
