For the first time, a Terry Pratchett Discworld book is becoming an animated movie

Considering how beloved and prolific an author he was, Terry Pratchett has gotten remarkably little of his work adapted for the big screen — adaptations exist, of course, but mostly in the form of TV serials little seen outside the UK. Over the course of his life, the man wrote 41 novels set on Discworld, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn are standing on a giant turtle. Maybe the mainstream movie industry never quite knew what to do with his blend of high fantasy and whimsical satire, which is a shame, because he’s done a lot of great stuff.

It’s also a shame he didn’t live quite long enough to see the current fantasy and sci-fi boom. He died in 2015, right around the time Game of Thrones had become a proper phenomenon and studios were rushing to get in on the action. Just last month, Amazon’s delightful adaptation of Good Omens (which Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman in 1990) was probably the best version of Pratchett’s work onscreen so far.

And it looks like there’s more coming. Variety reports that German company Ulysses Filmproduktion, working with Ireland’s Cantilever Media, will adapt Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents as a family-friendly animated movie. Terry Rossio, whose credits include Shrek and the original Aladdin, wrote the screenplay, while Carter Goodrich (Ratatouille, Brave) will design the characters.

And this is the kind of story that will need a good character designer. Pratchett’s book is about a streetwise cat named Maurice who tries to make money off a dumb-looking kid and his loyal rat followers, all of whom can read for some reason. It’s got a whole pied piper thing going on and it’s very strange and quirky and Pratchett.

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“Terry Rossio’s screenplay twists and turns and produces an unexpected yet heartwarming ending, with Carter Goodrich’s designs bringing these characters to life in their own unique style, which I’m sure audiences will love,” said Cantilever Media CEO Andrew Baker. They’re eying a 2022 release. And who knows? With more projects like this maybe there will be renewed interest in Pratchett’s work.

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