Lionsgate has just bought the rights to all 54 books in the beloved children’s series, The Magic Tree House, written by Mary Pope Osborne. The studio hasn’t wasted any time either, as they have already begun working on the first film in the series.
Selling over 130 million copies, the novels follow brother and sister Jack and Annie as they venture all over the universe with help from their magical tree house.
The live-action adaptation of Osborne’s franchise will have the author on board as executive producer, along with her husband, Will, who has just completed the first draft of the script alongside playwright Jenny Laird.
The first film will be based on the 29th book in the series, Christmas in Camelot, where the tree house sends Jack and Annie to Camelot where King Arthur needs their help to save the city.
Having a history of working closely with content creators in order to protect their visions, Lionsgate is always looking to expand their library to other potential franchises. Following the success of the Hunger Games and Divergent series, the studio looks to give Pope’s series the resurgence it deserves.