Warner Bros. buys film rights to best-selling children's series

Los Angeles, July 13 (Xinhua) With its latest Harry Potter film breaking box office records worldwide, Warner Bros. is wasting no time in bringing another best-selling series of children's fantasy books by a female British author to the big screen.

The Hollywood studio has acquired the feature film rights to the seven-book fantasy series "Septimus Heap" by Angie Sage, a British illustrator and writer, US-based publication house HarperCollins announced Thursday.

"Septimus Heap: Magyk", the first book in the series, will be produced by Karen Rosenfelt, who produced the Oscar-nominated film "The Devil Wears Prada" in 2006.

Published in March 2005, "Septimus Heap: Magyk" became an international bestseller after it topped the New York Times Best Sellers List.

The subsequent books in the series, "Septimus Heap: Flyte" and "Septimus Heap: Physik", were published in March 2006 and March 2007, respectively.

The "Septimus Heap" series has sold more than 1 million copies in the US since its inception, with all of the books appearing on national bestseller lists immediately.

The series has been translated into 28 languages and appeared on the bestseller lists in France, Sweden, Spain, and Britain.

"We are delighted that Warner Bros. will be creating films from the 'Septimus Heap' series," said Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books.

"We know that the producers share our belief that the world of Septimus Heap is quirky, humorous, and unlike anything else in children's fantasy."

The series tells the story of two babies that are switched at birth, a boy who discovers his birthright as the seventh son of a seventh son, and ultimately a powerful wizard, and a girl who is destined to become a princess.

Set in a weird and wonderful fairy-tale England, the characters' stories of self-discovery are filled with hilarious characters and clever charms, potions and spells.

Studio figures released Thursday showed that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth film to be adapted from J.K. Rowling's best-selling series, took in $44.8 million in its first day of release in the US, setting a new box office record for a Wednesday debut.

The latest Harry Potter film is also reportedly breaking box office records overseas as distributors released the film in 44 foreign markets Wednesday.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix