Disney Plus should adapt Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces

By Rebecca Mills | Aug 20, 2020

Disney Plus, Credit: Disney /

Small Spaces would be the perfect addition to Disney Plus’s 2021 fall lineup.

Despite not being a year-old yet, Disney Plus has already changed the game. While some point to its massive numbers or plethora of shows/movies available, one thing Disney Plus has perfected is its adaptations. Thus far, the streaming service has released multiple adaptations of popular children’s and middle-grade books.

The company adapted Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli which kids are still reading today even though it was published 20 years ago. Most recently, Disney also adapted The One and Only Ivan which is published in 2012 and is a favorite among teachers and kids alike.

With Disney Plus already having some solid ground with their adaptations, they should branch out a little bit more. In particular, it would be fun to see them tackle some scary subject matter.

It would be interesting to see Disney try to adapt Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. It was Katherine Arden’s first middle-grade novel and has since spawned a series. This first book would be perfect for Disney’s fall lineup next year, though.

It’s definitely a lot darker than some of the content currently on Disney Plus. However, it could become one of Disney’s hidden gems and possibly change the type of stories they decide to adapt.

Small Space would be the perfect sweet and spooky mix for Disney Plus.

More from Disney Plus

Before talking about why Small Spaces would be the perfect fit, there will be some talk about the story and the plot.

If you haven’t read the book and don’t want to know anything, then skip ahead.

Small Spaces tells the story of Ollie, a girl dealing with the loss of her mother and accidentally saving a book that brings back some monster-like creatures. The book follows Ollie and her friends fighting to save themselves from the monsters and becoming friends along the way.

Oddly enough, a majority of the plot focuses on Ollie and her growing up and maturing. Even though she’s only in sixth grade, Ollie has already dealt with a lot. The book touches on themes of growing up, dealing with loss and finding your place in the world. While Disney has focused on those themes before, the backdrop of the monsters and a creepy farm could exactly what separates Small Spaces from other stories.

Ultimately, Disney would be smart to try to adapt Small Spaces for next Halloween. The book is written so atmospherically and creates such a vivid picture that it was made for the movies. The only issue is Small Spaces wouldn’t be for all ages.

Some of the monsters could end up being nightmare fuel for kids. If Disney decided to market it towards a middle-grade/teenage audience, then there should have nothing to worry about.

Overall, it would be nice to see Small Spaces get some recognition. It’s such a well-written story with complex characters and surprisingly frightening moments. As long as Disney isn’t afraid to showcase a little bit of horror, then there’s nothing to worry about.

Considering the visuals in movies like The Black Cauldron, Don’t Look Under the Bed and the live-action Alice in Wonderland, Small Spaces would be an unusual but surprisingly good fit for Disney.

Next. 5 underrated Disney movies worth streaming on Disney Plus. dark

Even if they don’t adapt Small Spaces, Disney Plus should try to adapt some scarier middle-grade books. With Netflix adapting R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, Disney is likely to answer back. Trying something scarier would end up being a saving grace for service.

There is plenty of spooky middle-grade series out there but Small Spaces seems like the perfect fit for Disney in 2021.

If you’ve read Small Spaces, do you think Disney should adapt it for Disney Plus? If not, what middle-grade book would you like to see Disney tackle next?

Home/Disney Plus