Andrew Garfield | Photo credit: Mike Blake
Actors Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Jennifer Saunders, Hiran Abeysekera and Pippa Bennett-Warner have joined the cast of the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’, according to reports. Diversity. The cast also includes Nicola Coughlan, Jess Gunning, Nonso Anozie, Dustin Demri Jones, Mark Heap, Oliver Chris, Lenny Henry, Simon Russell Beale and Michael Palin.
The film is based on Blyton’s ‘The Faraway Tree’ series, which follows the Thompson family as they move to the countryside of England and discover a mysterious tree. The inhabitants of this fictional tree transport visitors to far-off places, leading to a variety of adventures. ‘The Faraway Tree’ is a series of popular novels written for children by British author Enid Blyton.
The titles of the series are The Enchanted Wood (1939), The Magic Faraway Tree (1943), The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946) And Up the Faraway Tree (1951)Sanders has been cast as the children’s grandmother, Abeysekera as the Angry Pixie and Bennett-Warner as the grandmother’s assistant Hannah. Newcomers Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Billy Gadsden and Phoenix LaRoche Thompson will play the children.
Shooting began in the south of England and at Shinfield Studios in Reading. The screenplay is written by Simon Farnaby and directed by Ben Gregor. Producers include Pippa Harris and Nicholas Brown of Neal Street Productions, Danny Perkins and Jane Hooks of Elysian Film Group.
“Just when we thought our casting line-up couldn’t get more exciting, we have these incredibly talented actors joining us. I know they will bring wit, wonder and warmth to their performances and we’re thrilled they’re joining us for this magical adventure,” added Harris.
