Netflix acquired the rights to all 22 books in Brian Jacques’ fantasy series Redwall, which is the first time that rights for the entire series have been purchased by one film or television company. According to Deadline, Netflix has entered into a rights agreement with book publisher Penguin Random House Children.
It’s even a big franchise action for Netflix, because the books are considered classic by many people and sell over 30 million copies. The series follows the fantasy adventures of noble and heroic talking animals. Each book in the series was written by author Brian Jacques, who passed away in 2011 shortly before the publication of the 22nd book.
The streaming network plans to create a feature film and a TV series for the event. The film will be based on the series’ first book, which is simply titled Redwall. The screenplay will be written by Patrick McHale, best known as the creator of Cartoon Network’s award-winning animated series. Over the Garden Wall.
McHale is also working with director Guillermo del Toro on a modern adaptation of Pinocchio, also for Netflix. Pinocchio is released this year.
Netflix will also debut a series about the character Martin the Warrior, for whom the sixth book in Redwall series is titled.
Redwall has never been turned into a feature film, but it is a three-season animated series for a Canadian television network that aired from 1999 to 2002. The series also aired on PBS in the United States. The three seasons in the Canadian series are based on the books Redwall, Mattimeo, en Martin the Warrior.
As usual with announcements like this, one of the parties to the agreement issued a public statement – in this case, The Redwall Abbey Company, Alan Ingram:
Brian traveled extensively around the world to tell his Redwall stories to young audiences, more often than not at their schools … Brian would have been very happy to see Netflix share his joy and desire to keep his stories alive to make as a new universe of movies, series and possibly much more for audiences of all ages to enjoy.
No release date or window has been set for the movie or TV series yet.