Any sci-fi fans who grew up in the ‘90s probably encountered the Animorphs series at some point. Now, Scholastic Entertainment is hoping to introduce the books’ shapeshifting characters to a whole new generation of audiences. Entertainment Weekly brings word that Scholastic Entertainment is working on a new live-action Animorphs movie.
Katherine Applegate and her husband, Michael Grant, began publishing the Animorphs series through Scholastic under the name “K.A. Applegate” in 1996. The novels centered on five teenagers who learn from an alien visitor that Earth is being invaded by Yeerks, slug-like creatures that crawl through humans’ ears and assume control of their bodies. The alien drafts the teens into his species’ fight against these creatures by granting them the ability to morph into any animal they touch. Applegate and Grant penned 54 installments of the main series as well as a handful of companion novels. They concluded their story in 2001.
Animorphs was previously adapted into a TV series that aired in the U.S. on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 1999. The show’s cast was led by Shawn Ashmore, who later played Bobby Drake/Iceman in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films.
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Picturestart’s Erik Feig, who has also produced films like La La Land, is teaming up with Scholastic to develop Animorphs. Additionally, Scholastic will release a graphic novel adaptation of the series first book, The Invasion, later this year. This version of the story will feature artwork by Eisner nominee Chris Gine.
Scholastic Entertainment President and Chief Strategy Officer Iole Lucchese, who will also produce the movie, issued a statement about this latest Animorphs news.
“The central themes of Animorphs have resonated strongly with kids for more than two decades,” said Lucchese. “The time is right for a feature film that takes this captivating sci-fi adventure to another level for audiences today. Picturestart has an incredible track record of success; and Erik and his team are the perfect partners to help bring this exciting new series based on the adventure-packed books to movie screens.”
Are you excited for Animorphs to hit the big screen? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Invasion (Animorphs Book 1)
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