The Little Prince director Mark Osborne and writer Adam Kline have signed deals for two new feature projects with 20th Century Fox Animation. The films will be based on Kline’s books Escape From Hat and With Kind Regards From Kindergarden.
The Kung Fu Panda co-director Osborne will produce and direct Escape From Hat for Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios while he and Kline will work on the screenplay together. Osborne will also produce and direct With Kind Regards From Kindergarden and Kline will write its screenplay.
Escape from Hat, written by Kline and illustrated by Brian Taylor, was first published in 2012. The humorous fantasy-epic tells the story of a lucky rabbit named Leek who finds himself in an unlucky situation. After a fateful magic trick sends Leek tumbling into the land of Hat, the rabbit must find his way through deadly peril back to the boy he is sworn to protect.
“The opportunity to tell this fantastical and funny story about friendship and luck is a rich and exciting mixture,” said Osborne to Deadline about the project based on the 2012 book. “Reading Adam’s writing, I feel like a spoiled kid in a candy store. But instead of just sweets, I love that he’s sneaking in an unbelievably nourishing meal.”
With Kind Regards from Kindergarten was a crowdfunded project initiated by Kline as a way to encourage parents to read to their children, by writing a book that was designed for young children but too challenging for them to read on their own. It sees two close friends ripped apart as one of them loses his imagination. Lacking that he grows up to be a man of industry and power while his old and ex-friend is a reclusive clockmaker – and it is his imagination that must step up.
Osborne and Kline are currently working on the screenplay of Bone, based on Jeff Smith’s graphic novels, for which Osborne will serve as an executive producer.
