Peter Pan In Scarlet: The Movie!
 

Two U.K. goverment-backed firms have joined forces with an independent producer to secure the film and television rights to "Peter Pan in Scarlet," the recently penned, officially sanctioned sequel to J.M. Barrie's classic children's tale "Peter Pan," they announced Monday.

The decision to grant the consortium rights to Geraldine McCaughrean's "Peter Pan In Scarlet" was made by the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity Trustees (GOSHCC), the beneficiary of Barrie's will.

The property will be developed by the U.K. Film Council, which aims to promote British moviemaking; BBC Films, the movie arm of state broadcaster BBC; and Headline Pictures, a company co-founded by former BBC executive Mark Shivas.

"We have no doubt that they will help to build on the ongoing success of Geraldine McCaughrean's brilliant sequel, which will continue to raise vital funds for GOSHCC in the way J.M. Barrie had intended when he gifted the copyright to 'Peter Pan' to the hospital," GOSHCC executive director Charles Denton said.

In August 2004, the Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital launched a worldwide search for a sequel to Barrie's classic children's book.

The Special Trustees own the copyright and other intellectual property rights to "Peter Pan" and, to mark the centenary of the original, they authorised the creation of a new work. In March 2005, McCaughrean was announced as the winner and "Peter Pan in Scarlet" was published in October.

Raph's Girl note: This was inevitable I suppose. I haven't read the book yet but I did ask for it for Christmas.