Paddington producers developing Pippi Longstocking movie
The producers behind the Paddington film series will bring another beloved literary icon to life.
A new film based on Astrid Lindgren’s popular Pippi Longstocking books is currently in the works via Studiocanal, David Heyman’s Heyday Films, and the late Swedish author’s publishing company, it was announced Wednesday.
Lindgren’s books follow the titular nine-year-old girl (with signature superhuman strength, red hair, and freckles) as she navigates life on her own, refusing to conform to societal standards in the absence of her parents, which forces her into independence at an early age.
Originally published between 1945 and 1948, the first trio of Pippi Longstocking books (along with a further three shot stories as well as picture book adaptations) have been translated into 77 languages across 65 million copies sold around the world. The series is set to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2020.
Studiocanal and Heyday previously collaborated on two financially and critically successful Paddington movies, which collectively grossed $495 million at the global box office between 2015 and 2018. Paddington producers Rosie Alison and Jeffrey Clifford are also on board for the upcoming Pippi Longstocking movie.
“Pippi has endured and inspired families everywhere through her life force, strength of character and her irrepressible joie de vivre,” Heyman, who’s also in post-production on a feature film version of The Secret Garden and an animated Paddington series, said in a press statement. “Astrid Lindgren’s books have been translated around the globe for many years – a testament to her vision which we are determined to honor with a new film.”
A release date, cast, and crew details for the Pippi Longstocking movie have yet to be announced.
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