Simon Farnaby is to write a movie adaptation of Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’.
The 44-year-old screenwriter-and-actor co-wrote new children’s movie ‘Paddington 2’, and now the scribe is to adapt the novels by the revered English author for the big screen with Neal Street’s Pippa Harris and Nicolas Brown producing alongside Studiocanal.
Speaking about the project – which will be the first ever feature film based on Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ series – Farnaby said: "’The Magic Faraway Tree’ books are a firework display of the imagination. The pages are lit up with wonderful characters, humor, peril and adventure. Most homes have a well-worn jam fingerprinted volume somewhere on their shelves. I’m very much looking forward to bringing the likes of the Old Saucepan Man and Dame Washalot to the big screen for fans both old and new."
Harris said: "[I was] entranced by the magical world created by Blyton, and it’s terrific to have the chance to introduce her beloved characters to a new generation of children.
"I know that by partnering with Studiocanal and Simon Farnaby, we will make sure that Moon-Face, Silky, Dame Washalot and Saucepan Man are in very safe hands."
Blyton – who was born in 1897 – is one of the biggest selling children’s authors in history with global sales of more than 500 million books.
Her most popular franchise, ‘Magic Faraway Tree’, was written between 1939 and 1951 and includes four novels: ‘The Enchanted Wood’, ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’, ‘The Folk of the Faraway Tree’ and ‘Up The Faraway Tree’.
Each of the four stories take places in the enchanted wood in which the tree grows and is tall enough to reach the clouds and contains small houses.
Some of the most famous characters include Silky the fairy, Mr. Watzisname and Moon-Face.
Simon Farnaby to pen Magic Faraway Tree movie
