Skydance, Ted Melfi Team For Screen Adaptation Of John Flanagan’s ‘Ranger’s Apprentice’ YA Novels

Mike Fleming Jr

5 January 2024 at 12:27 pm·3-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Skydance has taken on the challenge of turning the bestselling YA fantasy novel series Ranger’s Apprentice into a live action film, with the hope it can become a franchise. Skydance has gotten control of the John Flanagan book series, and has closed a big deal with Hidden Figures helmer Ted Melfi to adapt, direct, and produce the film. Kim Quinn will also be producer.

Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger will produce alongside Melfi and Quinn. Flanagan will be executive producer, and Matt Grimm will oversee for Skydance.

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I’ve heard that Melfi has made a deal worth high 7-figures if the movie gets made. His task will be to take the first two volumes – The Ruins of Gorlan & The Burning Bridge – and get a franchise off the ground that focuses on an orphan named Will who becomes an apprentice to a group of mysterious protectors known as the Rangers.

He becomes one of the skilled trackers, archers, and warriors in the service of the King of Araluen. Will strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors, and other threats. He is joined on his adventures by his mentor, Halt, and his best friend Horace. The comp here is Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, youths with powers they have to come to grips with.

“The Rangers Apprentice and its focus on a group of orphans trying to figure out their purpose in the world is timeless, touching and cinematic,” Melfi told Deadline. “It’s exciting to have the opportunity to adapt it for the big screen. It’s a honor to be working with David, Dana, Don and Matt and the whole team at Skydance. These folks are truly passionate cinephiles who make movies for the right reasons.”

Melfi will jump right into the task, and he has been busy. There are planned reteams with his St. Vincent stars Melissa McCarthy and Bill Murray. He’s written The Goat for McCarthy to star in alongside Kevin Hart at Netflix, and plans to direct Murray in The Springs, a comedy at Sony about a retired detective who turns his sleuthing skills to a retirement home after his brother is found dead there. Howard Franklin is writing that one. He’s also producing Every Exquisite Thing, an adaptation of the Matthew Quick (Silver Linings Playbook) novel that Melfi scripted and which is coming together with Angourie Rice, star of the upcoming Mean Girls redo, and director Chandler Levack, with Spyglass backing it.

Flanagan began writing Ranger’s Apprentice in short story form, as a way to get his young son into reading. It blossomed from there. In addition to the nineteen-volume Ranger’s Apprentice series, Skydance has also optioned the rights to adapt Flanagan’s nine-volume The Brotherband Chronicles book series.

Skydance isn’t the first to see tent pole potential here. Past attempts were made by MGM/UA, Dick Cook Studios, and Warner Bros, though they never quite cracked it. Melfi starts with a blank page but plenty of mythology thanks to Flanagan, and Skydance believes they’ve cracked it to the point they want it quickly as Ellison’s company continues to take big ambitious swings.

Melfi is repped by UTA and attorney Kevin Marx at Gang Tyre Ramer.

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