HCG strikes film deal for Mary Stewart title

Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) has struck an animated film deal for The Little Broomstick, a 1971 children’s title by Mary Stewart about a young girl who finds an abandoned broomstick.

Japanese company Studio Ponoc, which was founded by a former Studio Ghibli producer, will now adapt the book into an animated film with the title "Mary and the Witch’s Flower".

Karen Lawler, senior licensing manager at HCG, struck the film deal with Geoffrey Wexler, chief of the international division at Studio Ghibli, on behalf of Studio Ponoc.

"Mary and the Witch’s Flower" will be Studio Ponoc’s first film and released in cinemas in 2017. HCG will publish a new edition of The Little Broomstick, first published in 1971, to tie in with the fim.