There’s a fantasy boom on TV right now, with the rights to popular novels being snapped up left and right for adaptations. Even Brandon Sanderson is finally getting into the streaming game. And now, a long-running series is set to hit the screen for the very first time.
According to reports, the popular Warrior Cats series of novels is being adapted into an animated TV series. A.C. Bradley, fresh off Marvel’s What If?, will showrun, while it will be directed by Trollhunters‘ Rodrigo Blaas. Since debuting in 2003, the series has been a massive success, selling over 90 million copies worldwide. There have been nine “arcs” of the series, each consisting of six books, : the series will adapt the first arc, The Prophecies Begin. It is being developed by Chinese media conglomerate Tencent Video, and is expected to be available on streaming in 2028 in Tencent‘s Asian sphere of influence; the series does not yet have a sterming home in the rest of the world. The novels were previously optioned to be adapted into a hybrid live-action/computer-animated film a decade ago by Harry Potter producer David Heyman; that project never came to fruition.
What Are the ‘Warrior Cats’ Books About?
Written by Erin Hunter, who is actually the collective pseudonym for a group of writers, the Warrior Cats books center around several warring clans of feral cats dwelling in a forest. The five clans (ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan) each have special, supernatural abilities. In addition to each other, the cats often have to deal with internecine conflict, as well as external threats, including rogue cats, ravenous packs of rats, and even a terrifying mountain lion. Heroic cats who fall in battle become part of the StarClan; the spirits of the StarClan often offer guidance to the living. Meanwhile, villainous cats are condemned to the hellish Dark Forest. The books boast a massive cast of characters and a great deal of historical lore. The series has previously been adapted into manga, graphic novels, and video games; it also boasts a sizable following on social media.
The Warrior Cats animated series will be a co-production of Tencent Media and publisher Coolabi Group. Coolabi recently partnered with Bonkers Toys for the first Warrior Cats toyline, as well.
The Warrior Cats animated series will be released in 2028.
via Collider