Disney Acquires Rights To “Impossible Creatures” Book Series
Disney has announced that it has acquired the rights to acclaimed British writer Katherine Rundell’s award-winning and critically celebrated fantasy series, “Impossible Creatures”.
The first book in the series told the story of Christopher, who is stunned when he discovers a passage to the Archipelago: a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures of myth still live and breed and thrive in their thousands. There he meets Mal: a girl from the islands, who is in possession of a flying coat and a baby griffin, and who is being pursued by a killer. Together they embark on an urgent quest to discover why the creatures are suddenly perishing, voyaging across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, in a bid to save both the islands and the world beyond them from a rising evil – before it’s too late.
The book series, which debuted in 2023 and is set in the fictional world of the Glimouria Archipelago, has quickly become a publishing phenomenon. The most recent instalment, “The Poisoned King”, debuted as an immediate global bestseller, making Rundell the first U.K. children’s author since J.K. Rowling to simultaneously reach the No. 1 position on the children’s book charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. To date, Rundell’s full body of work has sold more than four million copies worldwide, and in 2024 she was awarded both ‘Author of The Year’ and ‘Children’s Book of The Year’ at The British Book Awards.
Initially envisioned as a trilogy, Rundell expanded “Impossible Creatures” to a five-book series earlier this year in two major seven-figure publishing deals with Bloomsbury and Knopf. The first two books have already sold over one million copies across 34 territories, and Rundell is in discussions to further expand the franchise beyond the five-novel series.
As part of Disney’s expansive deal with Rundell and her production company Impossible Films, Disney has secured theatrical film and ancillary rights to the “Impossible Creatures” series, with Rundell central to the creative vision and development of the franchise. She will adapt the first two books into feature film screenplays under the Disney Live Action banner and produce alongside her creative partner Charles Collier.
In addition, Impossible Films will begin a first-look development relationship with Disney that includes all of Rundell’s current and upcoming literary properties. Impossible Films will remain based in London and led by Rundell with a team that includes Collier, producer Alexandra Derbyshire and Simon Bax, former CFO of Pixar Animation Studios and President of Studio Operations at Fox.
Rundell’s transportive book series will join Disney’s legacy of groundbreaking storytelling and collaboration with visionary artists and filmmakers. With its richly imagined universe brimming with unique characters and endless possibilities, “Impossible Creatures” and the world of “Glimouria” are poised to captivate audiences for years to come.
The deal is reported to be worth substantial seven figures, with Netflix and Warner Bros. also trying to get the rights to these books.
Katherine Rundell said in a statement regarding the news:
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be linking arms with Disney. It’s a privilege to be writing these screenplays and developing these first movies in the franchise together with Charles, my team at Impossible Films, and with the exceptional team at Disney. I’m especially grateful to Bob Iger, whose enthusiasm after reading the book helped set this collaboration in motion, and to Alan Bergman and David Greenbaum for being incredible partners throughout this process. Our ambition is to build ‘Glimouria’ and Impossible Creatures into a spectacular series of films, so that we can entertain and inspire family audiences across the world.”
Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, added:
“When I read Impossible Creatures, I knew it belonged here at Disney. I was immediately drawn into the vibrant world Katherine imagined and the possibilities of what we could do together with this story. Written by Katherine herself, these movies are in the best of hands with our Walt Disney Studios team, and I can’t wait to see this tale brought to the screen.”
With Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and David Greenbaum, President, Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, adding:
“Katherine Rundell has masterfully crafted a spectacular and immersive world with Impossible Creatures, and her vision is a perfect match for the Disney storytelling tradition. We are thrilled to collaborate with Katherine and Charles to bring this epic saga to life for audiences worldwide—it’s going to be an extraordinary adventure.”
Roger’s Take: Disney is in desperate need of some new franchises, especially on the live-action side of things and should these movies become a huge success, there is additional revenue for Disney’s other businesses, such as its theme parks, plus it could be a substantial new franchise to keep kids and families entertained on Disney+. This could be the next “Harry Potter” or the next “Artemis Fowl”, but with a strong established book series, with a built-in audience, hopefully Disney is able to deliver something new and exciting for the next generation.
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