Warner Bros. is poised to embark on an exhilarating new journey by adapting a bestselling book series penned by former "Glee" star Chris Colfer. The studio has acquired the enchanting "The Land of Stories" series from Colfer and has entrusted filmmaker Phil Johnston with the task of penning its screenplay. Emma Watts played a pivotal role in bringing this captivating property to Warner Bros., with Colfer and Watts serving as producers, and Rob Weisbach taking on the role of executive producer.
"The Land of Stories" revolves around twin siblings, Alex and Conner Bailey, who are still reeling from the tragic loss of their father when they are miraculously transported into a magical book where timeless fairy tales spring to life. The series commenced with "The Wishing Spell," which was published in 2012, and has since expanded into a seven-book saga, with Colfer also authoring several prequel titles.
Back in 2017, according to "The Hollywood Reporter," Colfer was all set to write and direct a feature film adaptation of the book series for 20th Century Fox and Shawn Levy's 21 Laps. As an author of 20 books, Colfer is renowned for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel in the Fox series "Glee." He also starred in the 2012 coming-of-age film "Struck by Lightning," which he wrote and produced.
Johnston, whose directorial credits include the upcoming Netflix feature adaptation of "The Twits" and the Disney animated sequel "Ralph Breaks the Internet," is no stranger to penning successful screenplays. His resume boasts credits for "Cedar Rapids," "Wreck-It Ralph," and "Zootopia."
Colfer is represented by Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Creative Management, alongside Derek Kroeger at Myman Greenspan. Meanwhile, Johnston is represented by Entertainment 360, CAA, and Frankfurt Kurnit. Deadline was the first to break the news about this exciting project landing at Warner Bros.
