Lionsgate Acquires Rights To ‘Magic Tree House’ Books

Lionsgate have acquired the rights to the Magic Tree House book series and says it plans to develop multiple live-action films for its Summit Entertainment label. The books, which are a 54volume chronicle, were authored by Mary Pope Osborne.

The announcement comes a day before Lionsgate will have its earnings call with Wall Street, and comes at a time that its successful Hunger Games and Divergent franchises are winding down. As part of the deal with the author both she and her husband, Will Osborne, will serve as executive producers. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erik Feig in making the announcement said “We’re always looking for magical worlds to expand into potential motion picture franchises, and this is an iconic property that is beloved and recognizable around the world. The Magic Tree House books have been cherished by generations of readers, including my own children”

The books follow the adventures of a brother and sister after they discover a mysterious tree house and find a collection of books that transports them through history. The books have sold over 130M copies and have been translated into 35 languages so it seems ripe for a feature franchise. The most recent title was released only last month by Random House. This is not the first time the books have gone to the big screen. Japanese anime producer Media Factory and director Hiroshi Nishikiori’s did an animated version of Magic Tree House in 2011.