Summary

• The Spiderwick Chronicles on Roku is a record-breaking hit, captivating & engaging viewers with its magical adventures.
• Roku believes in great IP that directly engages streamers, promising more successful series and films to come.
• While enchanting viewers, The Spiderwick Chronicles faces divided reviews, with high audience approval despite critical skepticism.

The Roku Channel's The Spiderwick Chronicles is captivating audiences and breaking records. The eight-episode series, which premiered in its entirety on April 19th, is pulling in viewers and becoming a major hit for the platform. The adventure fantasy is now the most-watched on-demand title to ever premiere on The Roku Channel (including originals and acquired content), and has earned the highest daily reach and the most hours streamed of any title debuting on the platform in a single day. Despite not revealing specific figures, Roku says the number of viewers for The Spiderwick Chronicles is in the "millions."

In a statement to Deadline, Roku’s Head of Originals Brian Tannenbaum shared:

"What’s clear is that great IP, great talent, [and] clear titles thrive on the Roku platform. We believed in 'Spiderwick' for those reasons, and we will continue to make those types of series and films that directly engage with our streamers and can flourish not only inside the Roku channel, but also on the Roku platform."

The Spiderwick Chronicles, a beloved fantasy series written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, gets its second screen adaptation with the Roku series. In 2008, a film, also titled The Spiderwick Chronicles, drove audiences to theaters, grossing $162.8 million at the global box office (against a $90M budget). Directed by Mark Waters and starring Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Sarah Bolger, Nick Nolte, Seth Rogen, and Martin Short, the film was also well received by critics.

Before landing on Roku, 2024's The Spiderwick Chronicles faced a surprising turn of events. Initially ordered by Disney+ in 2021, the filmed series was ultimately scrapped by the streamer in a cost-cutting move. In October, The Roku Channel picked it up.

The Spiderwick Chronicles Divided Critics and Audiences

The Spiderwick Chronicles follows the Grace family: twin brothers Jared (Lyon Daniels) and Simon (Noah Cottrell), their older sister Mallory (Mychala Lee), and their recently divorced mother, Helen (Joy Bryant). The four leave their Brooklyn home and relocate to Henson, Michigan, to their family’s ancestral home, The Spiderwick Estate, looking for a fresh start. Once there, the family uncovers a magical world with fairies, goblins, ogres, hobgoblins, trolls, and other mystical creatures.

The Spiderwick Chronicles was adapted by Aron Eli Coleite, and stars Bryant, Daniels, Cottrell, Lee, Jack Dylan Grazer as Thimbletack, Christian Slater as Mulgarath, and Alyvia Alyn Lind Calliope. Coleite serves as the series showrunner.

While The Spiderwick Chronicles is enchanting and drawing in Roku viewers, critics haven't been quite as spellbound. The series currently holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics arguing that the series is strongly lacking in imagination, whimsy and adventure. According to the review aggregator site, viewers aren't just flocking to watch the show, they're also enjoying it. The audience score sits much higher at 75%, with many praising the story, cast, and visual effects. Fans seem to be excited about a possible second season, but that remains to be seen.

All eight episodes of The Spiderwick Chronicles are available on The Roku Channel.