Bone is, unquestionably in my opinion, the best small press comic series ever. And many feel the same way about Jeff Smith's 13-year series, which is why a film adaptation has been in the works for years. Last we'd heard P.J. Hogan (Confessions of a Shopaholic) was the guy to make it happen, but now comes word that a new director with a more extensive background in animation has taken over.
THR reports Mark Osborne, best known for Kung Fu Panda and The Little Prince, will direct an animated adaptation of Bone. He'll co-write the film with Adam Kline, and he sounds excited to be tackling what could be a huge undertaking...
“Bone is very special and unconventional because it blends elements together that you don’t necessarily expect — soft, little comic characters and epic high stakes fantasy adventure. To carry this into the cinematic realm presents both an opportunity to represent what readers of all ages have loved about the series, while pushing animated storytelling into exciting and different areas.”
The series ran for 55 issues and followed Bone cousins Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone. The small, white, humanoid characters are kicked out of Boneville and are separated after arriving in a mysterious valley. Chased by strange rat monsters, they reunite and are taken in by a girl named Thorn, and discover that the people of the land are threatened by an evil being known as the Lord of the Locusts. The three take it upon themselves to save the world.
Osborne has a strong track record, and I especially like his world-building ability, a skill he'll definitely need for Bone, which has justifiably been compared to Lord of the Rings in terms of scope.
