Many parents are familiar with “The Magic Tree House” series, written by Mary Pope Osborne nearly two decades ago. In the books, brother and sister Jack and Annie venture through time to visit everywhere from ancient Egypt to the Titanic.

Coming Soon To Theaters

Now, after years of persuading, Japanese filmmakers are finally bringing the books to theaters. Osborne was opposed to selling the adaptation rights to the books for years, as she felt the educational values of the books would be lost in the films. Known for their benefits in reading, history and geography, Osborne felt the books were best left to children’s imaginations.

The Heart of the Story Remains Intact

Filmmakers visited Osborne and her husband in the U.S., and impressed them with their script and illustrations. Osborne felt that Media Factory’s vision would do a good job adapting the stories, and finally agreed to sell the rights.

At the film’s premiere in Japan, Osborne told Reuters “We thought they totally captured the spirit of the brother and sister in the story. The heart of the story was so intact to me, it was just prefect in that way.”