A series adaptation of the popular fantasy series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, is coming to Disney+. The announcement was made as a part of Disney+ Day and the streamer shared some artwork that gives a first look at this series. Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television are producing the new series. The company is calling this adaptation a “modern coming-of-age story combined with fantasy adventure.”
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a series of fantasy novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The series follows the Grace family – two twin brothers named Jared and Simon, their sister Mallory, and their mother Helen – who move into the ancestral home once owned by their great-great-uncle. As they explore the house and the surrounding woods, the family uncovers a hidden fairy world filled with magic, mystery, and imminent danger.
The first book, “The Field Guide”, was published in 2003. The entire series has four other books including “The Seeing Stone,” ” Lucinda’s Secret,” “The Ironwood Tree,” and “The Wrath of Mulgarath.” There is also a spinoff series, Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, that includes three books: “The Nixie’s Song,” “A Giant Problem,” and “The Wyrm King.”
In 2008, the series was adapted into a film from Nickelodeon and Paramount that was directed by Mark Waters and starred Freddie Highmore, Martin Short, Mary-Louise Parker, and Seth Rogen. The movie made $162.8 million and received mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences. There is also a video game based on the film that was released the same year.
Disney+ is also in the process of adapting another popular fantasy series, Percy Jackson. Similar to The Spiderwick Chronicles, the books are very successful but a movie or television franchise never amounted to much. So far, there is no current timetable for The Spiderwick Chronicles as it is still very early in development at Disney+.