We have a lot of time for writer/director Paul King here at Empire Towers, particularly following his superb debut film Bunny and the Bull. Now he’s back with a new project, which will adapt Eva Ibbotson’s adventure story Island of the Aunts.
Chatroom’s Edna Walsh is hard at work cranking out the screenplay for this one, which follows three aunts who make it their mission to spirit unhappy and unloved children away from their neglectful parents and take them to a magical island where they’ll find happiness.
It’s a fantastical kids’ book, so while there are always dangers to be found, it doesn’t exactly end as it might in real life, with the three women forced to go on some sort of register of child-snatchers.
King, of course, is best known for his work with The Mighty Boosh, though more recently he’s been directing Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ show Come Fly with Me. And on the writing front, he’s also behind the script for Harry Potter producer David Heyman’s planned new take on Paddington Bear.
Ibbotson’s work has become something of a hot property of late, with another of her tomes, The Great Ghost Rescue, set for release this year with Jason Isaacs, Kevin McKidd and Emma Fielding starring. Sadly, the author died last year, so she won’t get to see her work hit the screen. But with King overseeing Aunt****s, it should be in safe hands.