\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Walt Disney Studios has acquired rights to British writer Katherine Rundell\u2019s award-winning fantasy series, \u201cImpossible Creatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series debuted in 2023 and is set in the fictional world of the Glimouria Archipelago. The most recent installment, \u201cThe Poisoned King,\u201dsaw Rundell become the first U.K. children\u2019s author since J.K. Rowling to simultaneously reach the No. 1 position on the children\u2019s book charts in both the U.K. and the U.S.<\/p>\n
To date, Rundell\u2019s full body of work has sold more than four million copies worldwide, and in 2024 she was awarded both \u2018Author of The Year\u2019 and \u2018Children\u2019s Book of The Year\u2019 at The British Book Awards.<\/p>\n
Initially envisioned as a trilogy, Rundell expanded \u201cImpossible Creatures\u201d to a five-book series earlier this year in two major seven-figure publishing deals with Bloomsbury and Knopf. The first two books have already sold over one million copies across 34 territories, and Rundell is in discussions to further expand the franchise beyond the five-novel series.<\/p>\n
As part of Disney\u2019s deal with Rundell and her production company Impossible Films, Disney has secured theatrical film and ancillary rights to the \u201cImpossible Creatures\u201d series, with Rundell central to the creative vision and development of the franchise. She will adapt the first two books into feature film screenplays under the Disney Live Action banner and produce alongside her creative partner Charles Collier. In addition, Impossible Films will begin a first-look development relationship with Disney that includes all of Rundell\u2019s current and upcoming literary properties. Impossible Films will remain based in London and led by Rundell with a team that includes Collier, producer Alexandra Derbyshire (\u201cPaddington 2,\u201d \u201cWonka\u201d) and Simon Bax, former CFO of Pixar Animation Studios and President of Studio Operations at Fox.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled\u00a0to\u00a0be linking arms with Disney. It\u2019s a privilege\u00a0to\u00a0be writing these screenplays and developing these first movies in the franchise\u00a0together with Charles, my team at\u00a0Impossible\u00a0Films, and with the exceptional team at Disney,\u201d said Katherine Rundell. \u201cI\u2019m especially grateful\u00a0to\u00a0Bob Iger, whose enthusiasm after reading the\u00a0book helped set\u00a0this collaboration in motion, and to Alan Bergman and David Greenbaum for being incredible partners throughout this process.\u00a0Our ambition is\u00a0to build \u2018Glimouria\u2019 and \u2018Impossible\u00a0Creatures\u2019 into\u00a0a spectacular series of films, so that we can entertain and inspire family audiences across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I read \u2018Impossible Creatures,\u2019 I knew it belonged here at Disney. I was immediately drawn into\u00a0the\u00a0vibrant world Katherine imagined and the possibilities of what we could do together with this story,\u201d said Bob Iger, CEO\u00a0of\u00a0The Walt Disney Company. \u201cWritten by Katherine herself, these movies are in the best of hands with our Walt Disney Studios team, and I can\u2019t wait to see this tale brought to the screen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKatherine Rundell has masterfully crafted a spectacular and immersive world with \u2018Impossible Creatures,\u2019 and her vision is a perfect match for the Disney storytelling tradition,\u201d said Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and David Greenbaum, President, Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. \u201cWe are thrilled to collaborate with Katherine and Charles to bring this epic saga to life for audiences worldwide\u2014it\u2019s going to be an extraordinary adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deal was brokered by Charles Collier at Chalcot Square Arts and Media Management on behalf of Rundell directly with the team at Walt Disney Pictures led by David Greenbaum, Kal Walthers, Paige Olson and Bill Neuschaefer. Rundell is represented by Chalcot Square and RCW.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n