Generally, the adaptations in Sam Mendes cinematic career to date have been heavier dramas or the violent likes of Road To Perdition. But for a new producing job, he’s shepherding a much more whimsical story to the screen, overseeing work on a film of Enid Blyton’s book **The Magical Faraway Tree.
Blyton’s series of four novels, The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk Of The Faraway Tree and Up The Faraway Tree, which were published between 1939 and 1951, are set in an enchanted forest that is home to the titular trunk. When a group of children discovers it, they go on a series of adventures in and around the lofty tree, which is tall enough to reach the clouds and big enough to hold small houses.
Mendes and Pippa Harris’s Neal Street Productions has secured the rights to all four books, presumably to set a franchise in motion if the first film works. “As a child I was captivated by The Faraway Tree books, and the magical worlds created by Enid Blyton,” Harris tells Variety. “Re-reading the books today with my daughter, they completely retain their power to enchant. To be able to adapt these books for the big screen, and introduce them to a new audience is a great honour.” There’s no word on a writer, director or any casting yet, but expect that to start to emerge soon.