We previously reported that Disney acquired film rights to a popular fantasy saga that could potentially rival the Harry Potter series, with the book’s author confirmed to be adapting the screenplay. Now, we know more about the expanding book series and the author’s partnership with Disney, including how the first screenplay is going and when the fourth book installment may arrive.
Below, we break down the Disney partnership that’s producing two screenplays and potential spin-offs and take a look at the story that Disney will bring to the screen. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including details on Disney World’s Villains Land and more information about hotel guest perks in Disneyland.
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Screenwriter for Disney’s “Impossible Creatures” Films Discusses Progress
In early October of last year, Walt Disney Studios acquired the rights to make live-action films based on the Impossible Creatures fantasy book series by Katherine Rundell. The series is frequently compared to the Harry Potter books and movies, mainly due to its core audience, genre, and fast success. J.K. Rowling’s books launched eight successful films and a number of lands in Universal theme parks, and it’s possible that The Walt Disney Company hopes the Impossible Creatures world could follow suit. Disney stated in the official announcement: “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.”
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Rundell will adapt the first two Impossible Creatures books into Disney live-action feature film screenplays, and there’s also a first-look deal with Disney that includes the author’s current and upcoming properties. The initial book publishing deal was for a trilogy, but in September, Rundell told Polygon she’s decided that five books are needed to complete the story.
The series includes Impossible Creatures, released in 2023, The Poisoned King, released in 2025, and The Neverfear, released in September. Rundell has now shared that she will take two years off before writing book four so she can focus on developing the first screenplay, which has undergone several iterations so far. Books four and five will come out about one year apart.
“It has been such a pleasure, one of the most thrilling creative experiences in my life, turning a novel into a film with all the potential that has,” Rundell said. “I love the way novels give you access to someone’s inner monologue. But I also love that film can create the visual delight of battle scenes and dance scenes.”
The series is set in the fictional world of Glimouria Archipelago and follows the story of a boy named Christopher Forrester, who discovers a cluster of 34 unmapped islands where mythical creatures have lived for thousands of years. Along with a girl named Malum Arvorian, Christopher sets out to discover why the magic is fading, causing the creatures to die.
Rundell has been collecting ideas for the series’ creatures since 2016, and more are introduced in each book. Regarding how many creatures the books include and how that could lead to a heavy reliance on special effects, Rundell said, “The practicalities are something Disney has 100 years of experience imagining into being, so I am very much trusting them to be able to bring them to life.”
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Discussing the inspiration for the books, Rundell names poet John Donne, Hamlet (which Disney’s The Lion King drew inspiration from), and the 12 Labors of Hercules. To strike a balance when writing a children’s book or screenplay, Rundell says:
“The thing I love about writing for young people is that you can talk about quite serious things like power, dread, evil, and a lust for control and wealth that will be followed by some individuals at all costs. You can also have comedy. When you write for children, you owe them jokes. It’s a way of meeting a child eye to eye and saying ‘You and I are in this together.’”
Disney leadership expressed excitement at the start of this collaboration last year, saying that Rundell’s immersive world she created is a perfect match for Disney storytelling. We’re looking forward to following the latest developments as the screenplays take shape.
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