Oh my goodness, we are super excited to hear the recent news that The Magic Faraway Tree will be coming to the big screen.

If you're of a certain age, you will remember with fondness the amazing adventures of Jo, Bessie and Fanny (later changed to Joe, Beth and Frannie) (and joined later by Dick and Connie) and their magical friends Moon-Face, Silky, The Saucepan Man, Dame Washalot, Mr. Watzisname, and the Angry Pixie, whose houses are carved into the trunk of the eponymous tree.

The trilogy which starts with The Enchanted Wood takes place in an enchanted forest in which a gigantic magical tree grows. At the very top of the tree is a ladder which takes you to magical lands which change, sometimes fast and without warning, how I still remember the horror today of the children being stranded and swept away. And oh how desperate I was to go to the Land of Goodies!

The series has been given a new lease of life in recent years by Jacqueline Wilson. The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton was Jacqueline Wilson's own favourite book as a young child. Now one of our favourite contemporary children's authors, and creator of Hetty Feather and Tracy Beaker, revisits this glorious magical world weaving a brand-new story.

The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure was published in May 2022: an irresistible new story set in a much-loved world. Three kids, Milo, Mia and Birdy, are on a countryside holiday when they wander into the Enchanted Wood. And a new generation of adventurers is born. It was joined in 2023 by The Magic Faraway Tree: A Christmas Adventure also by Wilson.

We hear on the grapevine that Neal Street Productions is moving forward with its feature adaptation of our favourite, The Magic Faraway Tree with shooting set to begin in June this year. 

The film, currently in development, is a co-production between Neal Street Productions and Elysian Film Group, produced by Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown and Danny Perkins and will be fully financed by Ashland Hill Media Finance. The film has been adapted by Simon Farnaby of Wonka and Paddington 2 fame and we are quite giddy with excitement.

Perkins for Elysian who is producing the film said: “Enid Blyton’s timeless story The Magic Faraway Tree has long been captivating the hearts and minds of children and adults alike, and I have no doubt that Farnaby and Gregor’s adaptation will resonate with modern audiences across the globe."

Well, we cannot wait!