Emmy Award-winning actor and producer to adapt Tui T. Sutherland’s best-selling book series about war between dragon tribes and the five young dragons trying to bring peace; Warner Bros. Animation to produce.
Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winner Ava DuVernay has landed her animated family series, Wings of Fire, at Netflix. Based on Tui T. Sutherland’s #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling book series, the epic fantasy saga will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation, with DuVernay, Sutherland, Sam Register, and Sarah Bremner for ARRAY Filmworks serving as executive producers. Dan Milano (Glitch Techs), Christa Starr (Mystery Science Theater 3000), and Justin Ridge (Star Wars Resistance) are serving as executive producers and showrunners. Milano and Starr are adapting the book series for television. 10 40-minute episodes are planned.
Published by Scholastic, with 14 million copies in print, the “Wings of Fire” book series tells the story of a bitter war that has raged for generations between the dragon tribes who inhabit the epic world of Pyrrhia. According to prophecy, five young dragons will rise to end the bloodshed and bring peace back to the land. Raised and trained in secret from the time they were hatched, the Dragonets of destiny – Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny - embark on an evolving quest that will bring them face to face with their true selves and the overwhelming scope of this savage war they are destined to bring to an end.
According to DuVernay, “Within this epic book series from the mind of Tui Sutherland is an elegant saga filled with wisdom and wonder, exploring ideas of belonging and bias, camaraderie and community. On behalf of my colleagues Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY Filmworks, we’re thrilled to partner with Netflix and Warner Bros. Animation for this dynamic adaptation where five young dragonets fulfill their destiny and show viewers how to fulfill their own.”
“I am so immensely thrilled and grateful that Ava DuVernay is our Queen of Dragons (I’m pretty sure that’s the official title),” Sutherland said. “Ava is someone who saves the world every day without waiting for any prophecy to tell her what to do. I hope some of my dragons grow up to be just like her!”
He continued, “I knew the minute I met our showrunners, Dan Milano and Christa Starr, that they are funny, kind, super-nerd kindred spirits who 100% understand what I’m trying to do with the books. When I started writing this series, I wanted to show that any dragon can be part of saving the world, no matter how shy or weird or prickly or overly enthusiastic they are. I wanted the readers to feel that, too—that each of you is important and wonderful just as you are, and you can make a difference. I wanted you to see yourselves in the pages of this dragon world – and now I hope you’ll be able to see yourselves on screen as well. I cannot wait to go on this journey with this team and with you!”
“We couldn’t be more proud that Ava has chosen Netflix as the home for her first animated series,” said Melissa Cobb, Vice President, Original Animation, Netflix. “An epic fantasy saga full of sweep and spectacle, Wings of Fire promises to be a must-see event for the whole family.”
Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, added, “The Wings of Fire books have captured the imagination of millions. In Ava, Justin, Christa and Dan we have a visionary creative team that will bring that same sense of wonder and adventure from the books to life with animation and create the next great animated family series at Netflix.”
Source: Netflix
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
