'Dragonology' spreading wings to big screen

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The children's book series "Dragonology" is headed for a feature version from Universal, which has acquired the film rights to the material and hired Leonard Hartman to write the adaptation.

The faux-nonfiction books by Dugald A. Steer are based on the conceit that dragons exist, as revealed by the Victorian dragonologist Ernest Drake. An underlying theme is that dragons should be studied and revered in the same way as any rare species.

Screenwriter Hartman's fantasy-adventure take on the material revolves around a group of dragonologists who go on a globetrotting quest to keep a corrupt man from taking control of the world's dragons and using them to wipe out humanity.

The first book, devised and published in the U.K. in 2003 by Templar and in the U.S. by Candlewick Press, has sold more than 2.8 million copies worldwide in 32 languages. Subsequent titles, from books on tracking and taming dragons to a code-writing kit, have brought the total sales for all "Dragonology" titles to 5.7 million, according to its publisher.

Templar recently signed a licensing agreement with video-game producer Codemasters, which will see "Dragonology" adapted into Nintendo Wii and DS games.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter