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“The Little Prince” is getting a new big-screen treatment with “The Imitation Game” director Morten Tyldum set to helm an ambitious live-action feature inspired by the life of French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Slumdog Millionaire,” is writing the script for the film which is being developed with Le Petit Prince Groupe, guardian of the Saint-Exupéry estate.
The big-scale family adventure project hails from Aton Soumache, the well-known French producer behind Mark Osborne’s 2015 animated feature “The Little Prince.” The latter world premiered at Cannes and grossed close to $100 million worldwide, as well as won the César for best animated film and the BAFTA Children’s Award for best feature film.
This new project will pull elements from French comic book artist and filmmaker Joann Sfar’s acclaimed graphic adaptation of “The Little Prince,” portraying the bond between the Little Prince and the Aviator.
The film will blend Saint-Exupéry’s real-life story as a pioneering aviator and writer with the fantastical world of “The Little Prince.” Saint-Exupéry’s story will unfold in live action, while the Little Prince will be created using visual effects.
“I see it as a very cinematic and epic story, one that gives us a wonderful opportunity to ask big questions,” Tyldum said. “This is a story about love, grief and loss. It’s about hope, following your heart’s desire and seeing life as a big adventure.”
First published in 1943, “The Little Prince” has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide and has been translated into some 600 languages and dialects.
Beaufoy, whose credits also include “The Full Monty” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” described adapting the book as both daunting and exhilarating.
“‘The Little Prince’ is the most extraordinary text because it never goes out of fashion. It talks to the child in every human being,” Beaufoy said. “Everybody relates to that small child, who is the voice of truth that you sometimes don’t even want to hear.” He added that turning such a revered work into a broader cinematic canvas was “a thrilling responsibility.”
Sfar, who worked with the Saint-Exupéry family on his graphic adaptation roughly 15 years ago, said the new film grew out of that longstanding relationship.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the Saint Exupéry family, alongside whom I created ‘The Little Prince’ comic book 15 years ago, to develop the concept of this unique film,” Sfar said. “With Simon Beaufoy writing it and Morten Tyldum directing it, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better team to bring this wonderful universe to life.”
Soumache, who is producing the film with Paul Trijbits via their company Magical Society, said, “This film is not simply an adaptation, but a celebration of ‘The Little Prince,’ of its timeless story and its enduring spirit.” “Combining ‘The Little Prince,’ which has touched people young and old, with the adventurous, genius, passionate explorer and pilot Saint Exupéry is a magical mix,” he continued.
Trijbits, who runs Magical Society’s London office, previously executive produced Netflix family series “The Letter for the King” and Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” along with films including Paul Greengrass’ “Bloody Sunday,” Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank” and Cary Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre.”
Sophie Kopaczynski, CEO of Le Petit Prince Groupe, said the aim was to honor Saint-Exupéry’s legacy while creating a film with broad international appeal.
“Through his extraordinary life and writings, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry gave us a deeply humanist vision of the world that continues to resonate across generations and cultures,” said Kopaczynski, who previously held a senior position at Studiocanal and worked on several family entertainment franchises. “Our ambition is to honor his remarkable legacy through a spectacular cinematic adventure infused with the poetry and magic of ‘The Little Prince.’”
