UPDATE: Deadline has now revealed that Lyon Daniels (We Can Be Heroes) and Noah Cottrell (Gordita Chronicles) have been tapped to play the show's young leads, twin brothers Jared and Simon.
Daniels' Jared is the adventurous, clever, and impulsive twin brother, who has been troubled by anger issues. Cottrell is the thoughtful, more rational twin Simon, who is an animal lover – Jared’s antithesis in everything. The twins have been inseparable since birth and even developed their own special "twin language," but resentments are growing between them, threatening to disrupt their brotherly bond.
Original story follows:
Deadline reports that Christian Slater is set to take on a major lead role in Disney+'s reboot of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the popular novels are getting the live-action TV series treatment, news that has excited fans.
Slater, who received widespread critical acclaim for his work in Mr. Robot, will play Dr. Dorian Brauer, a.k.a. Mulgarath. He's a capital-V Villain who does what all ogres do...he eats people and has an insatiable desire to consume. Mulgarath wants the secrets contained in Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Natural World for a nefarious scheme that will satisfy his hunger.
This is said to be a one-season commitment, so we're guessing the focus of The Spiderwick Chronicles' first batch of episodes will be on the battle with this monstrous bad guy.
Based on Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's series of wildly popular best-selling books, The Spiderwick Chronicles addresses both kids and families dealing with mental health issues (along with a variety of other topics very relevant today) in a contemporary American gothic setting. It's a classic coming-of-age story that we expect to see play out over several years.
In the books, upon leaving New York and moving to Michigan and into their run-down ancestral home - The Spiderwick Estate - with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate, fantastical world.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law helmer Kat Coiro is directing the first two episodes of the show, while Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key) serves as showrunner. DiTerlizzi and Black will be executive producers, a sign we can expect the TV show to remain faithful to the spirit of those beloved books.
With Disney+ Day taking place on September 8, we'll hopefully get a better idea then about when the show will be released and who else is set to round out the cast. Slater is a fantastic start, though, and we can't wait to see what he does with Mulgarath.
Stay tuned for updates on The Spiderwick Chronicles!