London Animation Studio to develop Costa Children’s Book Award-Nominated title as family feature.
Locksmith Animation, the UK’s newly established CG feature animation studio, announced today that it has optioned the rights to author Lissa Evans’ critically lauded children’s comedy adventure novel Wed Wabbit, to develop into a family feature film.
Recently shortlisted for the prestigious 2017 Costa Children’s Book Award and the Blue Peter Book Award, Wed Wabbit was highly acclaimed on publication by The Times as ‘a marvel, a classic’, The Bookseller hailed it as ‘an absolute joy, incredibly funny and original, packing a fierce emotional punch’, and award-winning author of In DarknessNick Lake wrote, “A masterpiece. In fifty years’ time people may say ‘It’s a bit like Wed Wabbit’ as they now say it’s a bit like Narnia’”.
Wed Wabbit follows ten-year-old Fidge as she is hurled into the bizarre world of her four-year-old sister’s favourite story book, the land of the Wimbley Woos. With two weird companions and her awful cousin Graham, she must find a way out by solving a series of nearly impossible clues, whilst fending off a cruel dictator who cannot pronounce his ‘r’s’.
A feature based on Evans’ novel for adults, ‘Their Finest Hour and A Half’ was released last year to acclaim as ‘Their Finest’, starring Bill Nighy and Gemma Arterton.
Locksmith Animation’s Sarah Smith commented: “Lissa’s children’s books are absolute page-turners and passionate favorites among kids. The hilarious, magical and wildly inventive Wed Wabbit is unlike anything I’ve come across, an instant classic in the making, and built on a bedrock of truth about the rub in sibling relationships. It’s a fabulously imaginative canvas for a collaboration with Locksmith’s visual and story artists and as the parent of a Wed Wabbitdevotee I couldn’t be more excited to work on bringing it to the big screen.”
Locksmith is in production on its first animated feature Ron’s Gone Wrong under its multi-picture deal with Twentieth Century Fox Film. The company intends to pursue a hybrid live action/animation format for Wed Wabbit.
Smith and Evans have a long relationship dating back to the beginning of their careers working alongside each other in radio and television comedy. Evans is represented by Georgia Garrett of Rogers, Coleridge and White. David Fickling Books handles book rights in Wed Wabbit.
