Disney+ scraps two new shows despite filming for both wrapped in a bid to save money, leaving fans devastated
Disney+ has scrapped two shows that were on the streaming giant before their debut, in a bid to save money even after filming was completed.
Fans have expressed disappointment that live-action shows The Spiderwick Chronicles and Nautilus won’t see the small screen in an effort to cut costs.
The former was to be a six-part reboot of the popular children’s film of the same name – already an adaptation of a book series – and the latter was a prequel to 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
The 2008 Spiderwick Chronicles movie was based on Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s 2000s fantasy series.
It is a story about three children who discover that their family estate is a gateway to a magical world.
Axed: Disney+ series Nautilus and The Spiderwick Chronicles will no longer be shown on Disney+ due to cost-cutting measures
Signed, sealed, undelivered: Filming for The Spiderwick Chronicles, which enjoyed big screen success in 2008 (pictured), reportedly ended in early 2023
Wastage: One particularly disappointed commentator was set designer Dave Blass, who found it “mind-boggling” that such creativity should go unused
Fans looked forward to the new episodes following the success of the movie and books, hoping another studio would pick it up.
One person wrote: “This really sucks because I was really looking forward to it… Disney Plus really needed these kinds of shows.”
Another disappointed viewer said, “Dang, I loved these books and the movie. I hope it gets picked up by another platform, I’d love to see it!’
One particularly disappointed X – formerly Twitter – user was production designer Dave Blass, who wrote, “I’m always amazed at the tens of millions of dollars worth of sets I’ve designed for shows that have never been seen.
“I understand it’s part of the process, but I always notice how much creativity there is wasted.”
Paramount Television Studios is now reportedly looking for other potential buyers deadlineafter filming wrapped up early this year.
The British fantasy adventure series Nautilus was the other victim of the recent cull.
It was touted as a prequel to 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, originally released in 1954 and rebooted in 1997 with Michael Caine.
This story was also based on a book: French writer Jules Verne’s 1870 novel was praised for the accuracy with which he predicted the future developments of submarines.
As a result, the British live-action series is also being promoted to potential buyers elsewhere, while Disney+ remains committed to completing the project until then.
One soon-to-be fan wrote, “I was looking forward to that. Not fair Disney.’
Another wise commenter noted, “Their cost savings would have been more effective if they had made this decision 197 shooting days earlier.”
Ahead of its time: The novel that inspired 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea correctly predicted many submarine elements that existed by the time it became a movie in 1954 (pictured)
On time: Fans were frustrated, especially since the filming of both series was already finished. They are now being sold to other potential buying studios