A “Holes” TV series has been ordered to pilot at Disney+, Variety has learned exclusively.
The potential show would be based on the book of the same name by Louis Sachar, which was previously adapted into a 2003 feature film by Walt Disney Pictures.
Alina Mankin serves as writer and executive producer, while Liz Phang will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Drew Goddard will executive produce via Goddard Textiles along with Sarah Esberg. Walden Media, which produced the film, is also producing the pilot and has been attempting to get a series version of the book off the ground for some time, according to sources. Mike Medavoy will executive produce with rights holder Shamrock executive producing. Andrea Massaro of Goddard Textiles is a co-executive producer. 20th Television, where Goddard is based, is the studio.
The official logline for the project states, “In this reimagining of the beloved 1998 book from Louis Sachar, a teenage girl is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.”
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The book told the story of Stanley Yelnats, an unlucky boy who is sent to a juvenile detention camp for a crime he did not commit. Now incarcerated at Camp Green Lake, Stanley is forced to spend his days digging holes in a dry lake bed. But as the story unfolds, Stanley discovers that both his own story and the story of his family are more connected to Camp Green Lake than he could have ever imagined.
“Holes” was originally published in 1998 and went on to win both the National Book Award and Newbery Medal. The book has sold several million copies to date. Sachar has published dozens of other books as well, including the popular “Wayside School” series and the “Marvin Redpost” books. He also wrote the book “Stanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake” ahead of the film version’s release and the spinoff book “Small Steps,” which tells the story of “Holes” character Theodore “Armpit” Johnson.
“My mom’s been a schoolteacher for her whole life and, as such, she’s served as a de facto book scout for Goddard Textiles,” Goddard said in an interview with Variety. “She always knows what ‘the kids’ are into long before everyone else does. ‘Holes’ was the first book she suggested to me – this was back in the late ‘90s – and she was positive it was going to be a phenomenon. It feels good to bring it full circle for Mrs. Goddard and her sixth grade class.”
The 2003 film version of “Holes” starred Shia LaBeouf as Stanley, with Sigourney Weaver, Khleo Thomas, Jon Voight, Tim Blake Nelson, Patricia Arquette, Dulé Hill, and Eartha Kitt also starring. Sachar wrote the screenplay with Andrew Davis directing. The film was a box office success, grossing an estimated $71 million worldwide against a reported budget of $20 million.
Besides the critically acclaimed ABC series “Lodge 49,” Mankin’s past TV credits include the “Katy Keene” TV series at The CW, Fox/Hulu’s “The Mindy Project” and the Netflix series “Anne with an E.” Phang, meanwhile, has worked on critically acclaimed shows like Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” “Foundation” at Apple TV+, and “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Locke & Key” at Netflix.
“They’ve done a wonderful job capturing Louis Sachar’s unique spirit,” Goddard added. “To say much more about what they have in store would spoil all the fun.”
Mankin is repped by UTA and Kaplan / Perrone Entertainment. Phang is repped by WME and Yorn Levine. Goddard is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson.