The live-action series, starring Christian Slater as the evil ogre Mulgarath, Joy Bryant as loving matriarch Helen Grace, and Lyon Daniels and Noah Cottrell as twins Jared and Simon, was previously dropped by Disney+ due to cost cutting.
The wayward The Spiderwick Chronicles live-action series, which was dropped by Disney+ in August as part of a content write-off initiative to cut costs and a strategic lean away from non-Disney IP, has found its new home on Roku. The eight-episode project went into production last Fall and wrapped filming earlier this year.
Spiderwick follows the Grace Family - twin brothers Jared and Simon, sister Mallory and their mother Helen - as they move into their ancestral home and unravel a dark mystery about their great-great Uncle who discovered the secret faerie world parallel to their own.
Joy Bryant (Ballers, Trinkets) plays loving matriarch Helen Grace, while Lyon Daniels (We Can be Heroes) and Noah Cottrell (Skyscraper, Gordita Chronicles) star as the twins Jared and Simon, respectively. Jared is adventurous and impulsive, with some nagging anger issues, while Simon is the rational and levelheaded foil to his twin. Also joining the cast was the previously announced Christian Slater (Dirty John, Mr. Robot) as the evil ogre Mulgarath.
“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,” said Brian Tannenbaum, head of originals for Roku Media to Variety. “We cannot wait to introduce this exquisitely crafted series, imagined by a world-class creative team, to millions of streamers.”
The series is based upon the novels by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, which consist of, “The Field Guide,” “The Seeing Stone,” “Lucinda’s Secret,” “The Ironwood Tree” and “The Wrath of Mulgarath.” A spinoff trilogy, titled “Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles,” adds “The Nixie’s Song,” “A Giant Problem” and “The Wyrm King.”
Kat Coiro (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Marry Me) directed the first two episodes, with Aron Eli Coleite as showrunner, and Coleite, Black, DiTerlizzi, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg and Julie Kane-Ritsch executive producing. The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television. The VFX were crafted by Ingenuity Studios, with Dan Nicholls acting as visual effects producer.
“We are elated that ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ has found a new home and want to thank The Roku Channel for their passionate partnership,” said Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series. “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.”
Originally slated for a 2023 release, The Spiderwick Chronicles will now stream exclusively on The Roku Channel in early 2024.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
