The timeless children's book series, Magic Tree House, will finally come to life on screens in a new animated series.
After 33 years, the classic and beloved Magic Tree House series, written by Mary Pope Osborne, is getting an animated adaptation through a collaboration with entertainment tech company Spuree and TV production studio Rideback. According to the author, she will be a creative partner on the project as she wants to be involved in the process and ensure that the studios will do her books justice.
Osborne revealed the reason it took her over three decades to finally agree to have Magic Tree House adapted for television in an interview with Variety. She wanted to wait for the right people to take on the project instead of just handing it to the first studio that made an offer. The author wanted to collaborate with people who she knew would actually let her have creative control over a series that she holds so near and dear to her heart.
She added that she was so grateful that Spuree and Rideback came to her. She praised them for not allowing her to have a "real seat at the table," instead of removing her from the creative process. She mentioned that this is something that is incredibly rare for writers who have their work adapted and that she is grateful to be able to have a say in the decisions that will be made for the TV show.
For many years, I’ve been looking for
the right opportunity to adapt my books into a series for the screen in a way that would allow me a real seat at the table — an experience authors almost never have when their work is adapted for other media. But now, finally, thanks to the forward-thinking teams at Spuree and Rideback, I’m able to have that and bring my handpicked creative team along with me to realize my long-held dream of bringing ‘Magic Tree House’ books to the screen in a way that feels true to their spirit.
While Magic Tree House never had any on-screen adaptations, it has had several musicals based on it. Eight of the Magic Tree House's musicals were scored by award-winning composer Randy Courts, who will also be providing original music for the upcoming series. Courts has been honored with an AT&T New Plays Award, several ASCAP Popular Panel Awards, and received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Musical.
The animated series will be released on digital and streaming platforms. Spuree and Osborne also plan to take the show worldwide because she already has an established international fanbase who would likely love to watch the show.
There is currently no confirmed release date or streaming platform for Magic Tree House at the time of this article's publication.
