Disney+ is dropping two new shows even though filming has wrapped up on both to save money – leaving fans devastated
To save money, even after filming wrapped, Disney+ canceled two shows that were set to premiere at the streaming giant.
Fans have expressed disappointment that live-action shows The Spiderwick Chronicles and Nautilus will not be part of the company’s content due to cost concerns.
The former was intended 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 precursor to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
The 2008 film Spiderwick Chronicles was based on the 2000s fantasy series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.
It is the story of three children who discover that their family home is a portal to a magical world.
Canceled: The Disney+ series Nautilus and The Spiderwick Chronicles will no longer be shown on Disney+ due to cost-cutting measures
Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered: Filming on The Spiderwick Chronicles, which became a theatrical hit in 2008 (pictured), reportedly wrapped in early 2023
Waste: One particularly disappointed commentator was set designer Dave Blass, who found it “amazing” that so much creativity could go to waste
Fans were excited to see the new episodes after the success of the film and books and hoped another studio would pick them up.
One person wrote, “This really sucks because I was really looking forward to it… Disney Plus really needed shows like this.”
Another disappointed viewer said: “Damn I loved these books and the movie. I hope it gets picked up by another platform, would love to see it!”
One particularly disappointed X user — formerly of Twitter — was production designer Dave Blass, who wrote, “I never cease to be amazed by the tens of millions of dollars in sets I’ve designed for shows that have never been seen.”
“I understand it’s part of the process, but I never cease to be amazed at how much creativity goes to waste.”
According to Deadline, Paramount Television Studios is now reportedly looking for additional potential buyers after filming wrapped earlier this year.
The other victim of the recent killing was British fantasy adventure series Nautilus.
It was billed 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 how accurately it predicted the future development of submarines.
As a result, the UK live-action series will also be on display elsewhere for potential buyers, while Disney+ holds onto completing the project until then.
One expectant fan wrote, “I was looking forward to this. ‘Not fair Disney.’
Another wise commenter noted, “Their cost cutting would have been more effective if they had made that decision 197 days earlier.”
It is expected that no other original UK series will be similarly affected.
Ahead of its time: The novel that inspired 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea had correctly predicted many elements of submarines that existed when it was made into a film in 1954 (pictured)
Timely: Fans were frustrated, especially given that filming had already wrapped for both series. They are now being sold to other potential buyer studios