The full cast for the live-action film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s beloved books, The Faraway Tree, has been announced.
Based on The Faraway Tree series of novels, The Magic Faraway Tree follows Polly and Tim Thompson and their children, Beth, Joe and Fran, who are forced to move to the remote English countryside.
There, the children discover a magical tree and its extraordinary and eccentric occupants.
The tree inhabitants will be played by Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who has been cast as forest fairy Silky, while Ted Lasso’s Nonso Anozie has been cast as Moonface.
Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning has been announced as Dame Washalot and Dustin Demri-Burns as Saucepan Man.
The full cast for the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s beloved books, The Faraway Tree, has been announced. Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan will join the film as the fairy Silky.
Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning has been announced as Dame Washalot
Completing the cast of the magical forest dwellers will be Mark Heap as Mr. Oom Boom Boom and Oliver Chris as Mr. Watzisname.
Hollywood stars Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield will play the children’s parents, Polly and Tim.
British icons Sirs Lenny Henry, Michael Palin and Simon Russell Beale have also been announced and will play a trio of mystical sages from the Land of the Know-It-Alls.
Adapted by BAFTA Award winner Simon Farnaby (Wonka, Paddington 2), the film will be directed by Ben Gregor and production will begin later this month across the UK.
The project is being helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions, whose previous credits include the TV smash Call The Midwife and the big screen hits 1917 and Revolutionary Road.
According to the film’s official synopsis: ‘Shortly after the family arrives at the countryside, the children discover a magical tree and its extraordinary, eccentric residents, including beloved characters Moonface, Silky, Dame Washalot and Saucepan Man.
“At the top of the tree, they are transported to spectacular and fantastical lands and, through the joys and challenges of their adventures, the family learns to reconnect and value each other for the first time in years.”
Enid Blyton’s books are still actively in print to this day and have been translated into over 35 languages, selling over 500 million copies worldwide and making her the most translated children’s author in the world.
Hollywood stars Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield will play the children’s parents, Polly and Tim.
Ted Lasso’s Nonso Anozie has been cast as Moonface, the self-proclaimed leader of the forest creatures.
Slow Horses actor Dustin Demri-Burns has been cast as Saucepan Man
The Faraway Tree series remains one of Enid Blyton’s most popular books, having sold over 30 million copies to date.
Enid Blyton’s books are still actively in print to this day and have been translated into over 35 languages, selling over 500 million copies worldwide.
More than 3.5 million copies of his books are sold annually in the United Kingdom alone.
The Faraway Tree series remains one of the most popular, having sold over 30 million copies to date and continuing to sell over half a million copies each year to new readers.
The Magic Faraway Tree is based on The Faraway Tree series of children’s novels, including 1939’s The Enchanted Wood, 1943’s The Magic Faraway Tree, 1946’s The Folk of the Faraway Tree, and 1951’s Up the Faraway Tree.
In 2022, another favorite children’s author, Jacqueline Wilson, wrote new installments of the books, to great success.
Danny Perkins, CEO of Elysian Film Group, said: “Attracting such talented and high-profile people to this project is testament to the power of Blyton’s enduring legacy and the continued marketability of her storytelling.”
‘His work continues to inspire and delight audiences of all ages, around the world. “The Magic Faraway Tree is one of his most timeless, cherished by generations, and we are honored to bring his magical world to life with such a fantastic cast.”
