‘Impossible Creatures’ Author Provides Update on Disney’s Film Adaptations
The Walt Disney Company is in perpetual pursuit of properties with synergistic potential, brands that it can leverage across its traditional and themed entertainment arms and monetize in a myriad of ways.
It’s been the company’s modus operandi for the bulk of its existence: craft a worthwhile artistic work (in one medium or another), give people as many ways to engage with it as possible, and profit.
Photo: Disney
Disney generally likes to keep intellectual property conceptualization in-house. It will occasionally, however, look outside of the walls of the proverbial House of Mouse for new franchises.
It did so last year in a rather ambitious way, striking a seven-figure deal with British author Katherine Rundell to secure the theatrical film and ancillary rights to her best-selling Impossible Creatures fantasy series.
Photo: OC Register
Disney won the rights in what was described as a competitive situation, with then-CEO Bob Iger saying via press release that he “knew [the series] belonged here at Disney” immediately after reading it. Rundell retained significant creative control in the deal, as she will pen the screenplays for the prospective franchise’s first two installments.
The Neverfear, the third of five planned books in the series, hits North American shelves on September 1. Rundell recently spoke with Polygon’s Sam Nelson to promote the new novel, also providing an update on Disney’s Impossible Creatures film adaptations.
Katherine Rundell Provides Update on ‘Impossible Creatures’ Films
Photo: Gizmodo
Rundell told Polygon that she’s taking the next two years off from writing Impossible Creatures novels to focus on developing the screenplays. This isn’t to say that work is just now commencing, however, as the author confirmed to Nelson that the first script has already gone through several iterations.
“It has been such a pleasure, one of the most thrilling creative experiences in my life, turning a novel into a film with all the potential that has,” Rundell said.
Katherine Rundell (Photo: The Telegraph)
“I love the way novels give you access to someone’s inner monologue. But I also love that film can create the visual delight of battle scenes and dance scenes.”
The first two films (should they materialize) will, aptly, adapt the saga’s first two entries: 2023’s Impossible Creatures and 2024’s The Poisoned King. The series has already sold more than one million copies, with The Poisoned King debuting as an immediate global bestseller.
Photo: Penguin Random House
Other Influences
The books ooze heart, which, combined with their ambitious, cinematic scope, should make for live-action adaptations that feel distinctly Disney. Rundell spoke to Polygon about some of her filmic influences, citing Pixar as a specific source of inspiration.
“We have dozens of touchstones of truly great movies,” Rundell said. “Some of them are obvious delights, the ones that we grew up adoring, like the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Photo: Pixar
“There’s work that has such warmth and wit that we learn from, like the great Pixar movies, the great Spielberg movies.”
The Impossible Creatures books take place in a setting where every creature of myth and legend exists. This is an inherently ambitious world that will require awe-inspiring visual effects to effectively realize.
Photo: Walt Disney Company
Rundell feels Disney is well-positioned to answer the call.
“We are just going to make the story as emotionally true, powerful, and funny as possible,” Rundell told Polygon. “The practicalities are something Disney has 100 years of experience imagining into being, so I am very much trusting them to be able to bring them to life.”
More About the Series
The Glimouria Archipelago (Photo: TheWrap)
Impossible Creatures takes place in the imaginative Glimouria Archipelago, a series of 34 islands hidden from the rest of the world where every mythical creature exists. Both books feature charming enough protagonists, but their wonder and whimsy lie in their boundless setting.
The series, given its genre, target demographic, and rapid success, has often been compared to Harry Potter, but the similarities are largely superficial. That said, it definitely has the potential to be Disney’s answer to the Wizarding World.
Photo: ‘The Poisoned King’ Book
The saga has the bones of a thoroughly engrossing summer blockbuster franchise, if adapted effectively. If the films ultimately perform well, some form of theme park representation seems inevitable.
Only time will tell whether Impossible Creatures makes it off the ground at Disney. That said, you’d think the company would want to get something out of a seven-figure commitment.
Photo: Disney
Regardless, it’s encouraging to hear that work on the screenplays is progressing.
As always, be sure to keep an eye on MickeyBlog for the latest on all things Disney.
