Macmillan Children’s Books and independent production house Kelebek Media, founded by creative entrepreneur Deborah Thorpe, announce that they have completed an option deal for the rights to Alex T. Smith’s Winston, to develop as a special and an animated series. The Lion King Director Rob Minkoff is already on board and will also produce alongside Kelebek’s Thorpe.
Alex T. Smith says, “I am so delighted to be working with Kelebek Media on bringing How Winston Delivered Christmas to the screen. Winston and his kindness and bravery mean so much to me and I have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the book over the past few Christmases since it was published. I am thrilled by this new opportunity and can’t wait for readers to see Winston come to life in this beautifully animated adventure. I’m really excited to return to Winston and his festive world.”
Deborah Thorpe, CEO at Kelebek Media, says: “We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to adapt and expand on this charming, beautifully illustrated story working alongside the incredibly talented Rob Minkoff with his globally impressive track record We can’t wait to collaborate on this beautiful holiday tale together.”
Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books says, “We are really excited. When Alex started talking to us about Winston, we knew we had a classic in the making. Alex is a wonderful storyteller and his illustrations are second to none. We are very proud to publish him on the MCB list.”
The news was released in Variety on 24th January
