Another beloved children’s story is getting the Hollywood treatment, this time from the folks over at Tri-Star. According to a report from THR, the studio has turned to director Carlos Saldanha to helm the adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth, which was written by Norton Juster back in 1961. The novel is also well-known for its memorable illustrations by artist Jules Feiffer.
Saldanha has made his mark on the animation industry, directing the Rio and Ice Age movies, and most recently, Ferdinand, which starred John Cena. But don’t think they’ll he’ll be sticking to animation this time around. The report states that The Phantom Tollbooth will mark Saldanha’s first foray into the world of live-action directing, with the latest draft of the script coming from Hidden Figures scribe Ted Melfi.
Below is the synopsis for the novel:
“For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!”
What do you think? Is the novel a good fit for adaptation, and more importantly, is Saldanha a good fit for the source material? Let us know your thoughts down below!
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SOURCE: THR
