'Geronimo Stilton' to be adapted into film

MANILA, Philippines — The best-selling children's book series "Geronimo Stilton" will be adapted into a feature film.

Production company Radar Pictures acquired the film rights for "Geronimo Stilton" and have tapped filmmaker David Soren to write and direct.

Soren is best known for his directorial debut under Dreamworks "Turbo" and later "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," another film adaptation of a popular children's book series.

Before his directorial work, Soren worked on animation and writing for other Dreamworks films like "Shrek," "Shark Tale," "Over the Hedge," "The Road to El Dorado," and "Chicken Run."

"I’m excited to be working with Radar Pictures to bring this incredibly popular book series to life," said Soren in a statement. "'Geronimo Stilton' is beloved around the world and, it’s high time for his first hilarious, feature film adventure."

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Italian author Elisabetta Dami created "Geronimo Stilton" in the '90s from stories she invented for patients while volunteering at a children’s hospital.

The titular mouse character is the editor and publisher of the newspaper "The Rodent's Gazette," and though a worrying homebody often goes on adventures with his sister Thea, cousin Trap, and nephew Benjamin.

Similarly, the planned movie will see Geronimo "stumble on a conspiracy that is bigger than anything he and his collaborators have ever tackled before. But working together, they attempt to stay one step ahead of the enemy in a game of cat and mouse."

To date, the "Geronimo Stilton" book series and its spin-offs have has sold over 180 million copies worldwide, have been translated into 49 languages so far, and even inspired stage production, video games, and a television show.

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