As the uber-lucrative Harry Potter saga nears its end, Hollywood execs continue to search for the next Potter-esque franchise to adapt for the big screen.
In an exclusive interview with ReelzChannel.com, former Marvel honcho Avi Arad announced today that he's optioned the film rights to Fablehaven, a series of fantasy novels penned by Mormon writer Brandon Mull. "It's a totally magical thing and it's gonna be a big deal," said Arad. "I think it'll be an amazing movie."
Arad stopped short of comparisons to J.K. Rowling's work, however. "It's very different than that," he noted. "Harry Potter is Harry Potter; I wouldn't want to make another one."
Credited by many with rescuing Marvel from the brink of bankruptcy with his successful film adaptations of the X-Men and Spider-Man comics, Arad continues to diversify beyond the world of comic book-related properties. His latest project, Bratz, is based on MGA Entertainment's popular line of dolls.