Disney Cancels Holes TV Series Pilot

Disney has canceled its planned TV series reimagining of the beloved young adult novel "Holes," scrapping a pilot ordered earlier this year that featured a gender-swapped lead character. The project, developed for Disney's streaming platform, drew on Louis Sachar's 1998 book and its 2003 film adaptation but shifted the protagonist from a teenage boy to a girl navigating a mysterious detention camp.

The pilot centered on Hayley, a teenager portrayed by Shay Rudolph, known for her role in Netflix's "The Baby-Sitters Club." Wrongly accused of a crime, Hayley arrives at the remote Camp Green Lake, where a harsh warden, played by Greg Kinnear, compels the campers to dig endless holes in a parched lake bed for undisclosed reasons. As the story unfolds, Hayley uncovers deep connections between her family's history and the camp's enigmatic past. Aidy Bryant was cast as the camp counselor Sissy, with Noah Cottrell appearing as kitchen worker Kitch. The ensemble of fellow teen campers included Flor Delis Alicea, Anire Kim Amoda, Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke and Maeve Press.

Announced in January, the pilot was written by Alina Mankin, who also served as an executive...