Henry Salick Gets Here Be Monsters

Henry Salick Gets Here Be Monsters
LAIKA Entertainment has purchased the film rights for one of the UK's current bestselling children's novels, writer/illustrator Alan Snow's "Here Be Monsters" and will develop it as an animated feature film.

LAIKA paid a "significant" six-figure sum after outbidding international competitors for film rights to the book.

LAIKA CEO Dale Wahl announced the acquisition, saying, "Great animated feature films begin with engaging stories and appealing characters.

This book has both, as well as a wonderful sense of humor.

It's a great addition to our development and production slate, which currently includes the CG and stop-motion movie 'Coraline' and the CG film 'Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure.'"

"Here Be Monsters" will be published in the United States this July by Simon and Schuster and was published in the UK by Oxford University Press.

LAIKA Entertainment's Director of Worldwide Scouting Operations Fiona Kenshole first saw drawings for the book five years ago.

"I knew there was something special about them," says Kenshole.

"It's been a long effort to bring it to LAIKA, but I'm convinced that a magical chemistry will develop between LAIKA Entertainment's creative team and the unique ideas in Alan Snow's book."