So if this isn’t the next ‘Harry Potter,’ we don’t know what is: Amazon is buying the best-selling fantasy adaptation

Okay, the fact that young people discover hidden skills, some of which were already present in their families, then go to special schools and find best friends there (ideally two) is very typical of fantasy books for young people. But ‘Charlie Bone’ gives the impression that it is actually a bit closer to ‘Harry Potter’ than, for example, ‘The Fourth Wing’ or ‘Percy Jackson’.

Unwanted relatives, an absent parent, a castle-like boarding school in Britain and a mysterious prophecy – all of this can also be found in the ‘Children of the Red King’ series of novels (also known as the ‘Charlie Bone’ series). And yet the fantasy world of author Jenny Nimmo also offers many new things, with which she has been delighting readers all over the world since 2002. This will soon also be available in series form: Amazon Prime Video has announced a “Charlie Bone” adaptation.

“Charlie Bone” is already being filmed

This means that the upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ series, which Warner Bros. wants to produce for its own streaming service Max in the coming years, will face fierce competition. If you don’t want to have your memory of the beloved Potter films clouded by a new edition, but still enjoy fantasy stories about boarding school adventures, you might prefer Charlie to Harry.

On the other hand, there is no reason to fear that the two projects will compete with each other in terms of time. While there is no timeline yet for the implementation of the “Harry Potter” series, the as-yet-untitled “Charlie Bone” series is boisterous already fully occupied and currently filming. And here, funnily enough, there is another relationship with ‘Harry Potter’, this time in the true sense of the word: while Ralph Fiennes starred in the ‘Potter’ films, his brother Joseph Fiennes is on board in ‘Charlie Bone ‘.

Book series so popular that it was expanded

The main series “Charlie Bone” consists of eight parts. Originally, author Jenny Nimmo planned only five books, but due to the popularity of the series, more volumes were added. In the English original, the individual novels were published under up to three different titles, which makes things a bit confusing – in German there is only one title per book, but the new novels are currently not available on the market. However, you can buy them second-hand from suppliers like Amazon & Co. – and now that the series is underway, a new edition can be expected soon.

Charlie Bone lives a life as a normal boy in the suburbs, until one day he discovers that he has special abilities. He can hear the conversations of people in photos and paintings. His mother and grandmothers then reveal that extraordinary talents are not unusual in their family, but that they almost believed that Charlie was “normal.” And so Charlie, whose father has been missing since early childhood, is sent to Bloor Academy. Children with exceptional talents study there in all areas – not only magical ones like Charlie’s, but also artistic and scientific ones.

At the academy, Charlie quickly finds best friends in Olivia and Fidelio, who support him through thick and thin – and help him solve many secrets, such as those about the Red King or the school’s opaque director, Dr. Bloor.

Pilot delivery ordered – these are the benefits

In fact, Amazon has ‘only’ ordered a pilot film for the series. This allows the provider to test the success of the format before ordering an entire season. This increases the chance that a series will not be canceled immediately after the first season. because the pilot can already be used to test and adjust the public’s reactions. If a pilot doesn’t do well at all, a squadron might not even get the green light.

Charlie Bone is played in the film adaptation by newcomer Cory McClane, Joseph Fiennes takes on the role of school director Dr. Bloor. In other roles are loud including Carmen Ejogo, Orlando Norman, Emma Sidi, Giulia Be, Lewis Brophy, Fisayo Akinade, Beth Alsbury and Olivia-Mai Barrett.