Fresh off the success of Paddington 2 (read our glowing review here), its co-writer Simon Farnaby is set to write an adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree for Studiocanal in conjunction with Neal Street Productions.
The source material – an incredibly large tree that houses a constant stream of fantastical worlds – gives the film unlimited scope and, according to Deadline, all four novels from Blyton’s series (The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk Of The Faraway Tree, Up The Faraway Tree) have been optioned.
“The Magic Faraway Tree books are a firework display of the imagination,” says Farnaby. “The pages are lit up with wonderful characters, humour, 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.”
Blyton’s work has long been adapted, with Adventures Of Noddy the first back in 1955. Since then her Famous Five have had numerous adventures on screen, with a new film currently in the works from the pen of another Paddington alum, Jon Croker(The Woman In Black 2, Desert Dancer). Her books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide.
As well as playing Barry the Security Guard in Paddingtons 1 and 2, Farnaby can be seen in Detectorists, Yonderland, Horrible Histories, and as Blue Five in Rogue One. He also co-wrote last year's Mindhorn with Julian Barratt.