Paddington writer boards Enid Blyton film
Simon Farnaby, writer of the hugely successful sequel Paddington 2, has come on board to write the live-action adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree.
The film is being made by Neal Street Productions, and was first listed on Production Intelligence three years ago as a development project.
It is early days on the project with no filming dates in place yet, but subscribers should follow Magic Faraway Tree on our site for future updates.
Neal Street Productions’ Pippa Harris and Nicolas Brown will produce. There are four books in the Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton, which were published between 1946 and 1951, with all having been optioned by Neal Street from Hachette Children’s Group. Paddington backer Studiocanal is also on board.
Studiocanal CEO Danny Perkins said: “Enid Blyton’s work is timeless. Like many, I have loved her writing since childhood and it’s incredible to develop such an expansive project with first class partners Neal Street Productions and Simon Farnaby. Not unlike the work of Michael Bond CBE, we very much look forward to bringing enduring family classics to audiences worldwide.”
Neal Street Productions is currently around half way through a four-month shoot on contemporary crime drama Informer and will be gearing up next spring for the eighth series of popular period drama Call the Midwife.
Simon Farnaby photo via Getty Images/WireImage/Karwai Tang.
Also on The Knowledge
Sky Arts orders rock legends doc
Sky Arts has ordered a six-part documentary series presented by rock legends Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) and Brian Johnson (AC/DC).
UKTV orders midwife docu-reality series
UKTV has commissioned The Real Midwives of Essex (8x60’) from Firecracker Films for W, exploring the professional and social lives of Basildon University Hospital’s midwives.
Sam Mendes to direct four Beatles biopics
Director Sam Mendes is behind a major new project to produce four biopics, one about each of the Beatles.
C5 greenlights doc on Edward and Mrs Simpson’s Bahamas years
Channel 5 has greenlit a new documentary from Yeti about the years that Edward and Wallis Simpson spent in the Bahamas during the Second World War, following his abdication as King in 1936.
Mr Bates vs Post Office hits whopping 13.5m
ITV’s drama about the Post Office IT scandal has averaged a total of 13.5m viewers across its four-episodes after 28 days.
Kim Kardashian exec producing and appearing in Elizabeth Taylor doc series
Production is underway on a new Elizabeth Taylor documentary series with Kim Kardashian among the executive producers.