With the fifth "Harry Potter" movie now in theaters (and the final book due to hit stores real soon), the studios are looking for similar properties on which to hang their financial hopes.
And there’s already a few candidates: Warner Bros. will mount a movie version of Angie Sage’s "Septimus Heap" series. Variety says it "revolves around two babies switched at birth, a boy who discovers his birthright as son of a powerful wizard and a girl destined to be a princess." Gee, nothing too Potter-ish about that brief synopsis, is there?
Also, production company Relativity Media has optioned Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams’ "Tunnels," which is due for publication later this year, with (at least) two more books on the way. The plot on this one goes this way: It "centers on a 14-year-old whose father disappears down a tunnel. The boy investigates, only to discover a secret world of wizards."
That’s a lot of wizards. But what about the witches? Well, Walden Media just snatched up the rights to "Savvy," which is about a young, well, witch, of course. Once again Variety fills in the blanks: "Story centers on a family whose members discover, upon turning 13, that they possess supernatural powers that they’ll retain for the rest of their lives, such as making it rain for days or creating furious gusts of wind. When the latest family member is about to hit 13, her life’s turned upside down by a tragic accident."
So there you are. At least three more youth-oriented magical adventures to look forward to. Kinda like we all did with … "Eragon."
