Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy to Star in Film Adaptation of Enid Blyton’s ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’

Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy will lead the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s children’s classic The Magic Faraway Tree.

The story from the author, based on her The Faraway Tree series of novels for children, follows Polly and Tim and their children Beth, Joe and Fran — a modern family who find themselves forced to relocate to the remote English countryside.

Two-time Academy Award-nominee Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Hacksaw Ridge) will play Tim and two-time Emmy Award-winner Claire Foy (All of Us Strangers, The Crown) will take on the role of Polly.

Neal Street Productions, Elysian Film Group, and Ashland Hill Media Finance will produce, with principal photography to begin in June 2024 and additional casting currently underway.

Screenwriter Simon Farnaby, British star of Wonka and Paddington 2, said: “To have two actors of the quality of Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy is a dream for any screenwriter.”

“I have long admired their warmth, wit and lightness of touch. Plus they have the power to imbue their characters’ complexities that I don’t have the power to write…I mean, even Enid Blyton might be impressed we got Spider-Man and the Queen….”

Director Ben Gregor (Britannia, Cuckoo, Black Ops, Fatherhood) added: “Andrew and Claire are exquisite performers and I feel so spoiled to have them for this film. They are the cornerstones of our big-hearted world and the perfect people to bring our lovely script to life.”

Palisades Park Pictures is handling worldwide sales, with CAA Media Finance co-repping U.S. rights. It will be shopped around at the Cannes film market this month.

The film is produced by Academy Award-nominee Pippa Harris (Empire of Light, 1917, Call the Midwife) and Nicolas Brown (Britannia, Informer, Penny Dreadful) of Neal Street Productions, along with Danny Perkins (Greatest Days) of Elysian Film Group and Jane Hooks (Golda, Living).

Executive Producers include Ashland Hill Media Finance’s Simon Williams, Joe Simpson and Jonathan Bross, and Palisades Park Pictures’ Tamara Birkemoe.

The film has been in development for several years, with Perkins, Harris and Brown working on the film when the former was running StudioCanal U.K.