A proposed film and television series based on a popular children’s book franchise has been canceled. Reports have confirmed that Netflix has shelved plans for several adaptations of Brian Jacques’ novel series “Redwall,” allowing the rights to the property to revert to publisher Penguin Random House.
The deal for the adaptations was first announced in 2021 but has gone through something of a troubled development period, with Netflix ultimately choosing not to move ahead with the previously planned projects.
Netflix Shelves Plans for Film & TV Adaptations of ‘Redwall’
The news, which was first broken by Broadcast, confirms that Netflix is not moving forward with its announced adaptations of the “Redwall” series. The streamer acquired the rights to Jacques’ work back in 2021, which included all 22 books in the franchise.
The original plan was for Netflix to release an animated feature film based on the series before later also adapting other stories for a television show.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to announce this deal,” said Ben Horslen of Penguin Random House. “These perennially popular stories have been etched onto the hearts of millions of readers, and we are thrilled to partner with Netflix to bring those beloved characters on screen for families worldwide to enjoy.”
There’s been no word on the exact reason why Netflix has chosen not to move forward with the adaptations. However, there have been reports of problems behind the scenes. This includes the fact that Patrick McHale, who is best known for writing “Over the Garden Wall” for Cartoon Network, left the film in 2023 as initially being hired as writer. News of the “Redwall” projects then went quiet and Netflix did not announce anyone taking over McHale’s role.
Netflix Has Released Little Information About the ‘Redwall’ Adaptations
Despite the fact that the partnership between Netflix and Penguin Random House was first announced in 2021, the streaming company has revealed precious little information about the film and television series.
In a description from the official Netflix site, the plot of the film is described as:
“Novice mouse Matthias dwells in the peaceful confines of Redwall Abbey and dreams of becoming a noble warrior. When a rat warlord threatens Matthias’s beloved home, he embarks on an epic adventure that leads him to the great warrior mouse Martin.”
According to the same project page, Dean Howard was signed on to direct the film, with a cast that included Marion Day, David Hemblem, Julie Lemieux, Keith Knight, Adrian Egan, and Tracey Moore.
The children’s fantasy novel franchise began with the release of “Redwall” in 1986 and grew to include a total of 22 books. The final novel, “The Rogue Crew,” was released in 2011 following the death of Jacques several months earlier.
“Redwall” largely follows a group of anthropomorphic animals who live in the fictional Redwall Abbey and Mossflower Wood. Set in a medieval world, usually peaceful creatures such as mice, rabbits, and moles are forced to protect themselves and their land from vermin animals such as rats and foxes.
