If your fantasy-based series of children's books has hit sales above at least 50 million copies, with translations into more than 20 languages, then you can certainly expect Hollywood to come calling. Such was the case for author Mary Pope Osborne, whose "Magic Tree House" series has 48 books published so far, with a popularity rivaled only by "Harry Potter" among the pre-tween set.
In an interview with The Japan Times, Oklahoma-born New Yorker Osborne describes how "I had a lot of interest (from Hollywood) about 10 years ago, and I was getting all these calls, but I just decided one night, I didn't want it done in film; I wanted to keep it in kids' imaginations. I didn't want it to be a fly-by-night sensation and then go away. I had the privilege of making that decision with my husband because we could afford to live on the books. So the subject was closed; my agent wouldn't even tell me about offers (anymore), y'know?"
Yet where Hollywood struck out, Japanese anime producer Media Factory managed to close a deal, and director Hiroshi Nishikiori's adaptation of Jack and Annie's time-traveling adventures full of pirates, wizards and dinosaurs premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival last October, and hits local screens on Jan. 7. The voice cast includes Keiko Kitagawa ("Paradise Kiss") and child actress du jour Mana Ashida, with art direction by Toshiharu Mizutani ("Akira").