Anna Daniels
Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time, When They See Us) is spreading her wings as a filmmaker, teaming up with Warner Bros. Animation to adapt the best-selling fantasy book series Wings of Fire into an animated series.
According to a press release from Warner Bros., the studio’s animation branch has teamed with DuVernay for “a high-end serialized animated family television series” adaptation of author Tui T. Sutherland‘s Wings of Fire, the #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling book series. The middle grade fantasy story “is an epic adventure set in a world entirely ruled by dragons. Across two continents and 10 tribes, the series explores vicious wars, enduring friendships, and heroic quests that span generations of fascinating dragon characters.” So far, Wings of Fire has spawned 15 novels, three graphic novels, and four short stories.
Scholastic created an animated trailer for the book series back in 2016. Obviously DuVernay’s series will look much better than this, but at least this might give you a slightly better sense of the saga’s story:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is-vizJtscY?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
And here’s a trailer for the graphic novel version, which includes an unintentionally hilarious exchange between two dragons involving the brightness of the sun:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1hS_lAiQFk?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
Warner Bros. Animation is responsible for DC Universe’s Harley Quinn, as well as upcoming shows like Hulu’s revival of Animaniacs, HBO Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Looney Tunes Cartoons, and many more. The studio reportedly paid in the high eight figures for the rights to the property, which DuVernay will executive produce through her ARRAY Filmworks production company as part of her overall deal with the Warner Bros. Television Group. This project marks her first involvement with animation, but it’s unclear exactly how hands-on she’s going to be with it, because she has a lot on her plate right now.
After writing and directing last year’s incredible Netflix series When They See Us, DuVernay is working on an adaptation of the comic book DMZ for HBO Max, as well as a big screen version of New Gods, the DC Comics title created by Jack Kirby. She’s also established herself as a major player in television, creating shows like Queen Sugar and Cherish the Day, and she’s evidently still attached to direct The Battle of Versailles, an HBO movie about a 1973 fashion show which pit French designers against American ones and wound up changing the fashion industry forever.
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