With only a couple more years to run on the Harry Potter franchise, a lot of studios are lining up projects that they hope will become the next big family franchise. Warner is taking a punt on an animated version of Angie Sage’s hit children’s book series, Septimus Heap. David Frankel, director of Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada, has signed up to helm the first film in a projected series, Septimus Heap: Magyk.
The books are about two children who are switched at birth. Septimus is the seventh son of a seventh son and therefore destined to become a powerful wizard, while the other is other a girl who is the daughter of a murdered queen. Magyk sees evil necromancer DomDaniel plotting his comeback, and the Heap family having to try and overcome this.
With three more Heap books already published and a fourth out in September, it seems Warner is looking at this as a possible replacement for Potter. However with the likes of Percy Jackson & The Olympians and various other family fantasies in the works, it looks like Septimus Heap will have stiff competition for the fantasy franchise crown.