Netflix Announces New Animated Musical The Witch Boy

As Netflix continues to make waves in the world of animation, the streaming service has announced [...]

By Charlie Ridgely

As Netflix continues to make waves in the world of animation, the streaming service has announced a brand new project with some serious talent attached. After working on beloved films like The Princess and the Frog, Big Hero 6, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen, and earning an Oscar nomination for directing the short film Adam and Dog, filmmaker Minkyu Lee is moving over to Netflix for a feature directorial debut. On Thursday morning, Netflix announced the start of production on the original animated film The Witch Boy, which is based on the graphic novel series by Molly Knox Ostertag.

The film tells the story of a boy who lives in a secret world where all girls grow up to be witches and all boys become shapeshifters. However, when the boy begins discovering he has witch powers, his world is turned upside down. The Witch Boy is going to be a musical film, with original music from the Grammy-nominated band Haim.

Maria Melnik wrote the script for The Witch Boy. The film is being produced by Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, and Ryan Harris.

"It has been a life-long dream of mine to create an animated film that pushes the medium forward, both in content and form," Lee said in a statement. "The connection between this dream, my experiences, and Aster and Juniper's story is what draws me to this film every day. I am grateful to be creating this with the wonderful team at Netflix. My hope is that this film, by celebrating queerness and "otherness", will come to audiences around the world as something truly special."

Here's the official synopsis for The Witch Boy:

"In a secret, magical community where girls are born to be witches and boys grow into shapeshifters, Aster is surprised to discover his emerging and extraordinary witch powers. When a mysterious danger threatens his world, Aster must embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind himself, his powers, and everything that is magical."

What do you think about Netflix's latest animated adventure? Are you looking forward to seeing it once it's done? Let us know in the comments!

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