Margit Auer‘s School of Magical Animals may well be the newest franchise to admire when the live-action movie adaptation plays in movie theatres come March 24. Blue Fox Entertainment will no doubt face a challange while promoting this import because viewers will no doubt see this work as combining the best in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts into one.!
While it’s tough to rank where this magical fantasy and musical sits in the list of top works of young adult adventures, this IP has led the charts in Germany. It’s been translated to other languages for fans to enjoy world-wide. The books outnumber J.K. Rowling’s seven volume series (there’s 11 in all). And when producers Alexandra and Meike Kordes came across this pheneomon back in 2013, they knew it had to be turned into a movie.
When the animals share equal screen time with their human masters and we have a musical, what can go wrong?
According to Variety, Global Screen has sold the sequel, “School of Magical Animals 2,” which was the most successful local film at the German box office last year with a $21 million gross, to Spain (Flins & Piniculas), Poland (Stowarzyszenie Nowe Horyzonty), Denmark (Another World Entertainment), Hungary (ADS Service), CIS and the Baltic States (Investacommerce), and has closed a worldwide airline deal. It will have its market premiere at Berlin’s European Film Market [which took place late last month].
But before we can see this, the first film needs to be viewed first.
From the Press Release:
Ida has had to move to another town and is now the “new girl” at the Winterstein School. She has a hard time in the new class: Helene makes sure that Ida has scant chance of making any friends, and there is only one place left for her on the first day of school–next to the outsider Benni. One day, her teacher introduces the children to Mortimer Morrison who travels the world looking for magical animals.
“Each of these animals is destined to become a child‘s soul mate. Of all people, newcomer Ida and outsider Benni are the first in the class to have magical companions! From now on, Benni has the ancient, wise turtle Henrietta at his side and Ida the cunning fox Rabbat. When objects keep disappearing at school, the children and the magical animals have to stick together to solve the mystery of the school thief.
Director Gregor Schnitzler (The Cloud) beautifully translated the essence of the books along with impressive visuals into anexceptional children’s film. Animation director Tomer Eshed (Lumatic Animation & VFX) created the likable, funny and very special characters Rabbat, Henrietta and Pinkie, the animal stars who play such decisive roles in this feature film.