Fox picks up lost Mark Twain manuscript for family film adaptation

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Fans of literary legend Mark Twain rejoice, for reports are coming in that Fox Family has secured the rights to a recently unearthed children's story written by the author that every English teacher you ever had forced you to read. Titled THE PURLOINING OF PRINCE OLEOMARGARINE, the bedtime fairytale finished by Philip and Erin Stead, creators of the Caldecott-winner A Sick Day For Amos McGee, is a tale of friendship, generosity, and building a better tomorrow. As a part of the tale's heart-warming backstory, Twain is said to have crafted the story for his daughters, while entertaining them before bedtime in Paris circa 1879.

THE PURLOINING OF PRINCE OLEOMARGARINE tells the story of Johnny, a poor boy who possessed some magic seeds. According to Deadline, who exclusively broke the news earlier today, Johnny, forlorn and alone except for his pet chicken, meets a kind woman who gives him seeds that change his fortune, allowing him to speak with animals and sending him on a quest to rescue a stolen prince. In the face of a bullying tyrant king, Johnny and his animal friends come to understand that generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold.

Karen Rosenfelt has signed on to produce, while Vanessa Morrison and Ralph Millero of Fox Family will be busy overseeing the project for Fox Family. As a an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer, Twain is responsible for such literary classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1875), and its follow-up, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). Boy, Fox Family really stepped in it this time, right? After all, it's not every day that you aquire the rights to a long lost fable written by one of America's most celebrated scribes. Here's hoping that Twain's latest offering can generate an entertaining and timeless family film for people of all ages.