Jared Hess (Masterminds, The Last Man on Earth) and Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) will adapt a screenplay based on the children’s novel by Aaron Blabey, Thelma the Unicorn, into an upcoming animated feature for Netflix.
The film will follow the story of what happens when a rare pink and glitter-filled moment of fate makes Thelma the Pony’s wish of being a unicorn come true. Thelma rises to instant international pop-superstar stardom, but at an unexpected cost. Thelma the Unicorn is a story about learning to love who you are, even if you don’t have sparkles.
Blabey and Patrick Hughes of Foundation Media Partners will executive produce the film.
“We are huge fans of Aaron’s work,” said the Hesses in a joint statement. “The lovable misfits in his books feel right at home for us. It is a dream come true to be collaborating with him and Netflix on an animated feature of Thelma the Unicorn.”
“I’m beyond excited that my beautiful phoney unicorn is going to sparkle her way onto the screen in a big, glittery Netflix film,” said Blabey. “Thelma is so ready for her close-up!”
Thelma the Unicorn has sold more than 1.6 million copies to date and has been distributed in 14 countries around the world. The success of Blabey’s novels has landed him on The New York Times Best Sellers list for 32 weeks.