Interview with Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black on The Spiderwick Chronicles

From 2003 through 2004, Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black released a series of five children’s fantasy books called The Spiderwick Chronicles, which quickly became an instant hit with young readers. From there, another series in the same world was created with Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, and the original books were then adapted into a 2008 movie starring Freddie Highmore, on which both DiTerlizzi and Black served as executive producers. This year, fans will get to see another iteration, as Roku is releasing a television series based on the beloved books, and DiTerlizzi and Black are also serving as executive producers for this new adaptation.

The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the story of the Grace children (twin brothers Simon and Jared and their older sister, Mallory) who, along with their mother, Helen, move to an estate known as Spiderwick. The house is ancient and full of surprises, including some magical and mysterious creatures that suddenly appear. But the only one who has been able to see them is Jared, the one considered the most troubled of the three. With the help of his great-aunt Lucinda, who believes his story, Jared embarks on a journey to find the pages of a field guide to help better understand the creatures and to also warn others of an evil ogre named Mulgarath.

I recently had the opportunity to interview both DiTerlizzi and Black to talk about the new series, what it was like to work as executive producers, and what other series they could potentially see crossing over with The Spiderwick Chronicles. You can view the full video of the interview below.

The Spiderwick Chronicles stars Lyon Daniels, Noah Cottrell, Mychala Lee, Jack Dylan Grazer, Joy Bryant, and Christian Slater. All eight episodes will premiere on Roku on April 19.