04/04/2013 - Danish author Jakob Martin Strid's picture-book novel, The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear, will be adapted by Danish director-producer Philip Einstein Lipski

Danish author Jakob Martin Strid's picture novel, The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear – the most successful children’s book to emerge from Denmark in many years, selling more than 60,000 copies in Denmark and abroad – has been acquired by Danish major Nordisk Film Production for a fully animated feature.

“Strid’s story is unique, written with originality and love, and is ideal for a movie for children and their parents. We are very much looking forward to disseminating it and bringing it to life on the screen," said producer Thomas Heinesen, of Nordisk.

“His universe works in books, on iPads, as audio books, as music, as posters, as 3D characters – I am sure on films, too,” added Ulla Selfort, director innovation at Denmark’s Gyldendal publishing, which has till now licensed the book to 12 countries, including Norway (15,000 copies) and Germany (8,000 copies).

Published in 2012, The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear is the story of two friends, Mitcho and Sebastian, who receive a message in a bottle from a missing town mayor, and subsequently embark on an eventful voyage in a giant pear to find him.

A self-taught illustrator and author, prize-winning Strid made his breakthrough by a satirical cartoon in the Danish daily, the Politiken. After a couple of children’s picture books, he last year received the Danish Crown Prince Couple’s €67,000 award for his “subtle eye for major themes of the time, combining wisdom with a sometimes devil-may-care and always warm humour.”

The Nordisk feature, which will be produced by Heinesen and Trine Heidegaard, will be domestically released by Nordisk in 2015. It will be co-produced by the director’s Einstein Film, which previously co-directed Ronal the Barbarian [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2011).