Nelvana in association with Kids Can Press, announced from the 2017 Kidscreen summit, that they are set to begin production on The Most Magnificent Thing – a 22-minute short film based on Ashley Spires’s bestselling picture book of the same name. The film is currently in pre-production, developing story outline and pre-visuals, and will be directed by Canadian Arna Selznick. Both owned and operated by Corus Entertainment, Nelvana and Kids Can Press have a storied history in joining forces to bring popular children’s books to life on screen, including the ever-popular Franklin the Turtle series.
“We are delighted to be working with our colleagues at Kids Can Press to bring another one of their prolific tales to life on screen,” said Nelvana, president, Scott Dyer. “We were inspired by Spires’s story of a young girl and her vision and have infused the same passion and perseverance to this film, ensuring that we make The Most Magnificent Thing, the most magnificent thing we can.”
Featuring high-quality CGI and produced in 4k resolution, Nelvana’s short film version of The Most Magnificent Thing animates Spires’s tale about an unnamed girl, her furry best friend and their quest to make the most magnificent thing. The girl knows just how it will look and just how it will work – all she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. After several trials and several errors, the girl realizes that making the most magnificent thing might not be as easy as she thought, but with the help of her furry best friend, and a whole lot of dedication and imagination, she manages to get it just right.
“I am incredibly excited that the plucky little girl from my book will be making the magnificent leap from page to screen,” said Ashley Spires. “There can never be enough opportunities to present young female characters as empowered, inventive problem-solvers to inspire children. I’m honoured that Nelvana saw the potential in my illustrations to translate into film and I can’t wait to see the final product.”
Translated in nine languages and with more than 250,000 copies sold worldwide, The Most Magnificent Thing is a bestselling picture book written and illustrated by the award-winning author-illustrator. Originally published in April 2014, the book quickly became popular within the maker community, as well as with educators and parents around the world for its themes of perseverance, initiative and innovation. Spires first launched the book at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa and continued to tour Canada, visiting schools, libraries and festivals, landing the book on a number of 2014 Best ‘Books of the Year’ lists.