Warner Bros. picks up "Heap" of books

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" breaking boxoffice records, Warner Bros. Pictures -- on the lookout for its next franchise -- has picked up the rights to another seven-book children's fantasy series, "Septimus Heap."

Written by U.K. author Angie Sage, the series revolves around two babies who are switched at birth: one a boy who discovers his birthright as the seventh son of a seventh son, and who is destined to become a powerful wizard; the other a girl who is fated to become a princess.

So far, three books have been published -- "Magyk," "Flyte" and "Physik" -- which have become known for their clever use of charms and potions as well as for their sense of humor.

Published in March 2005 by HarperCollins Children's Books, "Magyk" debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times best-seller list and moved to No. 1 in its second week of sales. The subsequent books have been published yearly since, with more than 1 million copies sold in the U.S. so far. The series also is a huge international success, having been translated into 28 languages.

"Septimus Heap: Magyk" will be produced by Karen Rosenfelt ("The Devil Wears Prada") with author Sage as executive producer.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter