Screenwriter Ken Daurio, who previously penned the Despicable Me movies and The Secret Life of Pets, is set to adapt the sci-fi kids’ graphic novel Zita the Spacegirl, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Created by Ben Hatke in 2010, Zita the Spacegirl follows the adventures of the titular character, who finds a strange device that sends her to an alien world, where she must save her friend and possibly the entire galaxy.
The project is the latest in the pipeline for Sycamore Studios, who also have another animated adaptation, Doctor Doolittle, in development. Jeremy Latcham, who previously produced several Marvel films, including The Avengers, as well as Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, will serve as executive producer.
This is not the first attempt to bring Zita to the big screen, as Fox Animation originally picked up the rights for the series with Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles attached to write in 2016. Sycamore Studios bought the rights last year.
Daurio wrote the first three Despicable Me movies and co-wrote the fourth with Mike White, with the series grossing over $5 billion worldwide so far.
Sycamore’s head of production and distribution, Cooper Waterman, spoke about Daurio’s hiring, saying,
Ken’s track record speaks for itself, but what excited us most was how personally he connected to the material. He brings the rare ability to balance spectacle with soul, exactly what Zita needs to stand out in today’s marketplace.
Production for the Zita the Spacegirl adaptation is set to begin in early 2026.
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