The Magic Faraway Tree is branching out into a full film franchise, with two sequels now in the works from Neal Street Productions and Elysian Film Group. The family fantasy film, based on Enid Blyton’s classic children’s book series, has performed strongly at the box office since its UK and Ireland release in late March. The film has grossed almost $20 million, around £15 million, in the UK and Ireland, alongside more than $10 million in Australia and New Zealand. Vertical is set to release the film in the US in August.
Simon Farnaby, whose credits include Paddington 2 and Wonka, is now writing the next script, loosely based on Blyton’s characters. Director Ben Gregor is also returning, as is US-UK financier Ashland Hill Media Finance, with Malta expected to be used again as a key filming location.
The first film stars Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy as Tim and Polly, parents who move their family to the countryside and discover a magical tree filled with strange residents and ever-changing lands. The cast also includes Nicola Coughlan as Silky, the kind-hearted fairy who lives in the tree and helps guide the children through its strange new worlds, alongside Nonso Anozie as Moonface, Jessica Gunning as Dame Washalot, Dustin Demri-Burns as Saucepan Man, Rebecca Ferguson, Jennifer Saunders, Lenny Henry, Michael Palin and Simon Russell Beale. The tree may be magical, but that cast list is doing plenty of the heavy lifting too.
According to Screen Global Production, the main cast is expected to reprise their roles, with producers considering whether to shoot the second and third films together. Neal Street’s Pippa Harris said they are eyeing a 2027 shoot, adding that the children are such a key part of the film’s success that they do not want to wait too long before returning to the story.
The move makes sense after the film found a strong family audience, particularly in the UK and Australia. With a beloved book series behind it and a tree that can keep revealing new lands, The Magic Faraway Tree is pretty much built for more adventures. Fairy dust very much included.
The original books, published from 1939 onwards, follow children who discover an enchanted tree where magical lands arrive at the top in rotation. For the film version, Farnaby updated the story for a modern audience, with contemporary family concerns worked into the classic fantasy set-up.
For CultureCues, this feels like a very welcome bit of family-film news. In an industry always looking for the next big IP, The Magic Faraway Tree has something a little gentler and more charming on its side: a proper sense of childhood wonder, a cast full of familiar favourites and a concept that can keep opening new doors, or in this case, new lands, every time the story climbs a little higher.
No release date has been announced for the sequels yet, but with plans already moving, The Magic Faraway Tree may be putting down some serious franchise roots.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.