The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle’s classic fantasy novel, is once again on track for new film and stage adaptations after a years-long legal battle.
The classic fantasy novel The last unicorn by Peter S. Beagle is finally making its return to the big screen and to the stage.
According to the Beagleverse website, a live-action movie and musical are “in the works”, with singer/songwriter Fergie contributing to the musical. As for the movie, the live-action adaptation will be “produced by Beagleverse,” a newly created company founded by entertainment industry veterans Lauren Sands and Michael Heard in partnership with Beagle.
Beyond Fergie’s participation in the stage production, there’s currently no information on who will be in the cast and crew of the live-action film or the musical.
The last unicorn was first published in 1968 and tells the story of an immortal unicorn who discovers that she is the last of her kind. The story follows the unicorn as she sets out to find out what happened to the rest of her species and explores themes of innocence, identity, and aging. five million copies of The last unicorn have been sold worldwide and fantasy/sci-fi magazine Place included The last unicorn on his list of the “Best Fantasy Novels of All Time”.
Before the Beagleverse live-action movie and musical, The last unicorn was adapted into an animated film by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass in 1982, with Beagle himself working on the screenplay. The animated version of The last unicorn stars Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin and the late Christopher Lee. Although the film initially underperformed, it became a cult classic among fantasy film fans and subsequently received two subsequent stage adaptations. In collaboration with director Elizabeth Huddle and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Beagle wrote a theatrical version of The last unicorn, which was presented by the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle in 1988. Another staging of the novel was presented by the Promethean Theater Ensemble in Chicago in 2009.
Additionally, Continent Films announced their own live-action adaptation of The last unicorn in 2006. However, the project never really took off; however, Lee had tentatively agreed to appear in the photo before his death. Production difficulties may have been due to legal issues surrounding the story. In 2015, Beagle sued its former manager, alleging elder abuse and fraud. In the ensuing legal battle, the author prevailed. As of March 2021, Beagle has regained creative control of all projects based on his current work and anything he will write in the future.
The last unicorn The animated film is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Now, and Starz.
Source: Beagleverse
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