Following the success of Wreck-It Ralph (which she co-wrote) and the very popular Frozen (which saw her co-direct), it’s no surprise that Disney wants to keep Jennifer Lee around. She’s now working on the script of A Wrinkle In Time for the Mouse House.
The adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s book – which Lee tells Variety is one of her favourites – has been in the works at the company since at least 2010, when **Bridge To Terabithia **writer Jeff Stockwell was hired to take a pass on the script.
The story focuses on the Murry family; especially teenager Meg and her genius 5 year-old brother Charles Wallace, and Meg's classmate Calvin O'Keefe. Their scientist father has gone missing, but after the visit of a mysterious old lady called Mrs. Whatsit – who tells their mother that "There is such a thing as a tesseract" – they learn that their father's research may have been more successful than they guessed and that he may have travelled in space and time. The kids end up following his footsteps to a planet called Camazotz, ruled by a giant evil brain called The Black Thing.
With a strong female-driven story and the chance to play with sci-fi elements, it all sounds like something Lee can work with. The studio is aiming for a live-action version and is currently on the hunt for a director.
Lee, meanwhile, will also stay active as part of the company’s animation division's Story Trust, which gives notes and guidance on its films in development. The latest from the team, Big Hero 6, lands here on January 30.