The Borrowers Reboot In The Works

Universal Pictures and Working Title are bringing the classic kids book and movie The Borrowers back to the big screen with a new reboot of the tale. Deadline reports that director Conrad Vernon, notable for animated films like Sausage Party and latest version of The Addams Family, will helm the project which (like the 1997 film) will be in live-action. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway screenwriter Patrick Burleigh penned the script. Based on the Mary Norton series of books, the title tells the story of a secret society of tiny people that live inside the home of a normal sized person, routinely “borrowing” items from their world to use in their daily life.

Not to be confused with The Littles, The Borrowers began as a book in 1952 and was followed by four sequels. It would be adapted for television as a TV movie in the 1970s, as BBC series in the early 90s, and then for the big screen with the 1997 adaptation. Directed by Peter Hewitt (Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey), the film starred John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, and a young Tom Felton in his first feature film role (two years prior to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). While not a tremendous success at the box office the film was received well by audiences and critics.

It’s perhaps a little funny that Burleigh would be hired to write this new version as he’s credited with additional story work on Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp from 2018, one of the more mainstream forced perspective, tiny people movies of the past few decades. Deadline reports that Burleigh also contributed some work to the upcoming Eternals from Marvel Studios and Oscar winner Chloé Zhao.

Vernon has had a prolific career in animation on the big screen, co-directing Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted for Dreamworks animation, even providing the voice of the fan favorite character the “Gingerbread Man” in the Shrek films to boot. His work also extends to the likes of The Penguins of Madagascar, Shark Tale, Bee Movie, and even some TV work including The Ren & Stimpy Show and Rocko’s Modern Life.

It was previously announced that Vernon would direct a new version of The Jetsons for Warner Bros. but no further details about that project or his involvement have been revealed in the year since.

Do you think the world is ripe for a new version of The Borrowers? Sound off in the comments below!