Downton Abbey Creator Julian Fellowes to Adapt The Wind in the Willows
Julian Fellowes has a lot on his plate right now. He's currently working on multiple TV shows in various states of production (The English Game, Belgravia, and The Gilded Age to name just three), and he's been tasked with writing a second Downton Abbey movie.
But he just added one more item to his to-do list. In February it was announced that he'll be bringing Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows, to the big screen.
Here's what we know so far:
For those unfamiliar with Grahame's work, it follows four woodland creatures in the English countryside.
The much-beloved book chronicles the adventures of Mole, Ratty, Toad, and Badger, as well as various other animals including weasels, ferrets, and stoats, who serve as the story's antagonists.
Even Theodore Roosevelt was a fan of the work which has come to be seen as a classic of British children's literature alongside works like Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh.
According to the Guardian, the U.S. President wrote to Grahame in 1909 saying he had "read it and reread it, and have come to accept the characters as old friends."
Fellowes will be working with producer Gerald R. Molen on the project.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, Ray Griggs will direct, and Peter Jackson's digital visual effects company Weta Digital will also be involved in the project.
"We could not have dreamed of a better writer and creative force than Julian Fellowes to work with Ray Griggs to bring to life the classic English novel’s characters, nor finer visionaries than WETA to capture the look and feel of Grahame’s world," Molen said.
Casting details are slim at this point.
"We are finalizing some of the finest actors to lend their creative and vocal talents,” Molen said, without giving away any names.
This is hardly the first adaptation of Grahame's story.
Fellowes previously wrote the book for a musical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. The production, which featured music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe opened in 2016.
Fellowes called that show "optimistic," and it's possible that the new film could be quite similar to the play. "One of the strands which I am sure Grahame felt very strongly is that we are very, very lucky to live in such a beautiful country and we should notice that and enjoy it."
There have been numerous other TV and stage adaptations, but perhaps the most well-known telling of Grahame's story was a short animated movie produced by Disney in 1949.
Watch a preview of that film below:
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