Walt Disney Pictures has early plans to bring to the screen K.A. Applegate and Patricia Castelao’s recent children’s book, The One and Only Ivan. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the Newberry Medal-winning novel will be developed for the big screen with Allison Shearmur among the producers.
Written by Applegate and illustrated by Castelao, The One and Only Ivan was published in 2011 and is officially described as follows:
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their homeand his own artthrough new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Plans for The One and Only Ivan are currently nascent, but it is noted in the trade’s story that the intention is to develop the property as a live-action film.
