The beloved children's book series "Magic Tree House" is set to receive the big screen treatment. Lionsgate acquired the rights to the 54-volume series, written by award-winning children's author Mary Pope Osborne, and is gearing up to produce multiple live-action film adaptations of the books, Lionsgate announced in a press release.
"Lionsgate has an impressive reputation for working closely with content creators, respecting and protecting their vision, and making them part of the creative process," said Osborne in the press release. "I'm thrilled to have partnered with them on bringing the 'Magic Tree House' books to life in a series of films that kids, parents and grandparents will all get to enjoy together."
Osborne's beloved "Magic Tree House" books feature brother and sister Jack and Annie, who discover a magical collection of books in a mysterious tree house and are transported through history for a series of adventures. Osborne will serve as executive producer of the films along with her husband Will Osborne, who co-wrote the script for the first installment of the film franchise with Jenny Laird.
The first movie is based on Book 29, "Christmas in Camelot." In the film adaptation, Jack and Annie return to their tree house after outgrowing it and are transported to Camelot where they set out on a quest to save the magical land.
"We're always looking for magical worlds to expand into potential motion picture franchises, and this is an iconic property that is beloved and recognizable around the world," said Erik Feig, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president, in the press release. "The 'Magic Tree House' books have been cherished by generations of readers, including my own children. We're thrilled to bring the genius of Mary Pope Osborne's iconic stories to the screen for their tens of millions of fans and to introduce a whole new audience to their magic."
