Disney Snags Massive New Fantasy Franchise with IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES
Disney just scored what could be its next major fantasy blockbuster franchise. The studio has officially won a high-stakes bidding war for the rights to Impossible Creatures, the hit fantasy book series from acclaimed author Katherine Rundell.
According to Deadline, Disney came out on top against Warner Bros. and Netflix, landing the property in a seven-figure deal. Rundell, who’s also adapting the first two novels herself, is set to bring her world of mythical beasts and young heroes to life for the big screen.
The Impossible Creatures saga is planned as a five-book series, with the first installment debuting in 2023 and the second, The Poisoned King, just released last month.
The description of the first book reads: “The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It's the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it's the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help.”
It’s reported: “Rundell just became 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. Her books so far have 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.”
The author’s success has already sparked two massive publishing deals with Bloomsbury and Knopf, and she’s expanding the Impossible Creatures universe with spinoffs and prequels.
Disney CEO Bob Iger was captivated by Rundell’s work, saying: “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.”
Walt Disney Pictures heads Alan Bergman and David Greenbaum also praised the collaboration, 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.”
With Impossible Creatures, Disney adds another powerful fantasy franchise to a lineup that already includes the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, and Avatar. If the films capture the same imagination and magic that have made the books global hits, this could easily become the studio’s next big cinematic universe.
Fans of sweeping fantasy worlds and magical adventures should definitely keep an eye on this one, it sounds like Disney is preparing something truly extraordinary.