‘Weslandia’: Kenny Ortega To Direct Feature Adaptation Of Bestselling Children’s Book

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Radar Pictures and Bandits Roost Entertainment have tapped Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) to direct Weslandia, a feature adaptation of the international bestselling children’s book by Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman.Originally published by Candlewick Press in 1999, Weslandia tells the story of Wes, a tween genius loner who expects, upon moving to his new home in Plainville, that his life is going to be, well, plain!

Little does he know he’s soon to be tangled up, literally, in a mysterious alien jungle growing in his backyard. But when the seemingly utopian civilization he creates as well as the entire town come under threat, Wes will have to do the unthinkable — band together with new friends to stop evil supernatural forces from destroying everything he now holds dear.

In a statement on the feature take, Field shared: “Weslandia is the first children’s book since Jumanji that fully captured my imagination and I feel very privileged to be able to bring it to the big screen with a filmmaker as talented as Kenny Ortega.”Given its blending of “heart, humor, wonder and magic,” Ortega called the project “right in my wheelhouse.” He added that it’s “a perfect opportunity for introducing fresh, breakout talent and creating a soundtrack that powerfully propels the narrative forward.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the assembling of our creative team, and to bringing this vision to the screen!” “Bandits Roost is thrilled to be working alongside such incredible creatives to bring Wes’ world to life,” added Bandits Roost’s co-founder, Cori Silberman. “This film will send kids on an adventure that shows them that through imagination and collaboration, creating a better world is truly in their hands”.