There are books we read.
And then there are books that seem to grow alongside us.
First published in 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” has spent generations asking readers to look beyond what they can immediately see, holding onto a sense of childhood wonder while exploring some remarkably large ideas about love, friendship, grief and what truly matters.
More than 80 years later, the Little Prince is preparing to ask those questions again.
Only this time, his creator is coming along for the adventure.
LE PETIT PRINCE Groupe has announced the development of an ambitious new international feature film inspired by both “The Little Prince” and the extraordinary real-life story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, bringing together the author’s life as a pioneering aviator with the imaginative universe he created.
Rather than simply adapting the book once again, the upcoming film will build a bridge between the real and imaginary. Saint-Exupéry’s story will unfold in live action while the Little Prince himself will be brought to life through visual effects, allowing the author’s adventures and the poetic world of his most famous creation to exist alongside one another.
And there is quite the creative team preparing to make that happen.
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Morten Tyldum, director of “The Imitation Game” and “Passengers,” is set to direct from a screenplay by Academy Award-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” writer Simon Beaufoy. Beaufoy’s credits also include “The Full Monty” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”
The project will additionally draw inspiration from Joann Sfar’s acclaimed graphic interpretation of “The Little Prince,” particularly its emotional interpretation of Saint-Exupéry’s universe and the relationship between the Little Prince and the Aviator.
Together, the filmmakers are looking to turn those elements into a sweeping family adventure without losing the sensitivity at the heart of the original story.
That’s no small undertaking.
“The Little Prince” has sold more than 200 million copies around the world and has been translated into 600 languages and dialects, making it one of the bestselling and most translated books in history. Yet its longevity has never really depended upon spectacle.
Its magic is considerably quieter.
There is a reason children can encounter the Little Prince one way and return years later to discover something entirely different waiting for them. Beneath the planets, roses and unusual people he encounters are questions about growing up, losing things we love and remembering how to see the world with something beyond our eyes.
That makes the decision to bring Saint-Exupéry himself more directly into the story particularly intriguing.
Tyldum describes the project as an epic and cinematic opportunity to explore love, grief, loss, hope and the idea of following your heart while viewing life as one enormous adventure. Beaufoy similarly points toward the Little Prince as the childlike voice of truth that remains somewhere inside us even as we grow older.
Those themes create the potential for something considerably more personal than another retelling of a familiar classic.
Producer Aton Soumache knows this particular world rather well, too.
Soumache previously produced the 2015 animated adaptation of “The Little Prince,” directed by Mark Osborne. The film grossed nearly $100 million worldwide and received both the César for Best Animated Film and the BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Feature Film.
His other family entertainment work includes “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” and “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir – The Movie,” but this newest project brings him back to Saint-Exupéry’s world with a very different cinematic approach.
Soumache and Paul Trijbits will produce the film for Magical Society in collaboration with LE PETIT PRINCE Groupe. Trijbits’ credits include executive producing Disney’s “Saving Mr Banks” and Netflix’s family series “The Letter for the King.”
For Soumache, the new film isn’t intended to simply become another adaptation of the book. He describes it instead as a celebration of “The Little Prince,” its story and the spirit that has allowed it to endure across generations.
And perhaps that is the most exciting way to approach a story that has already traveled so far.
Instead of only returning to the Little Prince’s planets, this film has the opportunity to look toward the man who imagined them. Saint-Exupéry’s real-life adventures and passion for aviation can meet the little traveler he created, allowing reality and imagination to reflect one another in a way previous adaptations haven’t explored.
There is still quite a bit waiting to be revealed. An international cast, additional production partners and release plans will be announced at a later date.
But more than 80 years after readers first met a mysterious little boy from a tiny asteroid, another journey is beginning.
This time, “The Little Prince” isn’t simply returning to the screen.
He’s bringing the Aviator with him.
And somewhere between the real sky Saint-Exupéry once flew through and the stars his Little Prince traveled among, a new adventure is waiting.