Netflix is developing a feature film and TV series based on Brian Jacques' Redwall books.
According to Variety, the streaming giant recently inked a deal with Penguin Random House Children to secure the rights to the sprawling 22-book Redwall saga, which follows the fantastical adventures of the anthropomorphic animals living at Redwall Abbey. On the back of this deal, Netflix has already revealed plans to develop an animated feature and an event series from the franchise.
Check out Pierre Breton's visual development art for the adaptation below:
The animated film is being penned by Patrick McHale, the writer of Guillermo del Toro's forthcoming stop-motion Pinocchio, and will adapt the first book in Jacques' series, titled Redwall, while the TV series will be based on the character of Martin the Warrior, the mouse co-founder of Redwall Abbey, who headlined the sixth Redwall novel.
"We couldn't be more delighted to announce this deal," said Ben Horslen, fiction publisher at Penguin Random House Children's."These perennially popular stories have been etched onto the hearts of millions of readers, and we are thrilled to partner with Netflix to bring those beloved characters on screen for families worldwide to enjoy."
The deal between Netflix and Penguin Random House Children marks the first time that film rights to the entire book series have been held by the same company, and it's the first time that any of Jacques' works have been adapted into a feature film, per Variety's report. However, three of the books were previously adapted for television — that animated series ran for three seasons from 1999-2002.
Netflix's Redwall adaptations join a slate of upcoming animated features on the streaming service, including Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Adventure, Chris Williams' The Sea Beast, Nora Twomey's My Father's Dragon, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, an Aardman sequel to Chicken Run, and an all-new animated Sonic the Hedgehog series, which is set to premiere worldwide in 2022.
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
