MG Leonard signs TV deal for Beetle trilogy

Nevision has optioned MG Leonard’s Beetle trilogy (Chicken House) for TV, with Leonard signed on to write the script.

Nevision, an independent producer, negotiated the deal with Kirsty McLachlan of DGA and is developing a live-action adaptation. Nigel Pickard is acting as executive producer and Ceri Barnes is development executive.

Leonard told The Bookseller: “I’ve always wanted an adaptation for screen of the Beetle Boy Trilogy to take my dedication to beetles seriously and commit to the complete narrative arc, and if possible I wanted to write the screen adaptation myself. The trilogy cannot be separated into three films as it takes place over a period of six months, which is why it is perfect for a live action TV adaptation.

“I knew almost immediately that the team of Ceri and Nigel were the right people to reimagine my books for the screen because they had the same vision for the series as I did, and they care as much about getting the insect detail right as the dramatic impact of the characters and storyline. I couldn’t be more excited about what this Team Beetle are going to produce."

The trilogy comprises Beetle Boy (published in 2016), Beetle Queen (2017) and Battle of the Beetles (2018) and is about a boy’s friendship with a beetle as they battle a villainess fashion designer. Beetle Boy won the Branford Boase award in 2017.