Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree to be turned into a film

The quirky, magical tales will be transported to cinemas by Bond director Sam Mendes' production company Neal Street Productions, who make Call the Midwife and Penny Dreadful, as well as films such as Revolutionary Road and Starter for Ten.

The Faraway Tree follows children Jo, Bessie and Fanny who move to a new house and discover a tree so tall that it touches the clouds.

They soon find that the tree is home to an array of magical creatures, such as Moon-Face, Silky, Saucepan Man and Mr. Watzisname, and that at the very top there is a ladder which leads into a new land each time they visit. Places like the Land of Do-As-You-Please, the Land of Birthdays and the Land of Dame Slap, to name just a few.

And while Blyton's other famous children's books, like Noddy and The Famous Five, have already found their way onto the silver screen, this will mark the first time The Faraway Tree has been adapted for film.

"As a child I was captivated by The Faraway Tree books, and the magical worlds created by Enid Blyton," Pippa Harris, who co-founded Neal Street Productions with Mendes, told the BBC.

"Re-reading the books today with my daughter, they completely retain their power to enchant. To be able to adapt these books for the big screen and introduce them to a new audience is a great honour,"

The Faraway Tree series is made up of four books - The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk of Faraway Tree and Up the Faraway Tree - published between 1939 and 1951.