British fantasy author Terry Pratchett was nothing if not prolific, authoring over 40 novels in a glittering literary career before his untimely death from complications resulting from Alzheimer’s disease in 2015. Several of the dozens of books in his acclaimed Discworld series have already been adapted for the screen, including some animated versions from the late 1990s.

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But Pratchett’s work for children is a different matter. Although two of his Johnny Maxwell series made it to TV, perhaps his most famous children’s work, the Carnegie Medal-winning Discworld novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, had never been adapted – until now. With a screenplay by Pirates of the Caribbean co-writer Terry Rossio, work on the animated version is well in hand, and Sky Cinema is aiming for a general release at the beginning of next year.

Here’s what we know so far about The Amazing Maurice.

The Amazing Maurice: The Plot

     Sky One

The Amazing Maurice recounts the adventures of Maurice, a sentient cat who appoints himself the leader of a group of cats called the Clan. The Clan is also sentient; they wear clothes and talk, and dream of putting aside their petty thievery and escaping to an island paradise where rats and humans live together in peace.

With the connivance of a young boy called Keith, the group prepares a scam whereby the rats infest a town. In a not-so-subtle parody of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, the inhabitants then pay Keith money to entice the rats away. In the town of Bad Blintz, however, the Clan’s well-rehearsed plans go astray when they discover the town has already hired rat-catchers to solve an already existing rat problem. A girl from the town, Mauricia, joins with the Clan to discover the evil secret of the townsfolk.

The Amazing Maurice: The Cast

     Sky OneHBO

Voicing the titular cat is Hugh Laurie, who has had a quiet year or two since his last high-profile appearance on the silver screen opposite Dev Patel and Aneurin Barnard in The Personal History of David Copperfield. Laurie’s co-star is Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who comes to the production in the middle of a sojourn in London’s West End, having played one of the principals, Nina, in a staging of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Clarke plays Malicia, the ditzy, fairy-obsessed girl who acts as an effective foil to the smart and cunning Maurice.

The supporting cast is just as impressive and features several stars from high-profile TV and movie franchises. David Thewlis (Harry Potter franchise, Wonder Woman) voices the part of Boss Man, while former Doctor Who and Around the World in 80 Days star David Tennant, fresh from a slew of voice appearances in big-budget animations (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Loud House Movie, Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers), plays the delightfully-named Dangerous Beans.

Voicing the role of Keith is Himesh Patel, a British television actor of longstanding, but whose star in Hollywood has lately risen with some excellent performances in supporting roles in Tom Hooper’s The Aeronauts (2019), Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, and opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in last year’s Don’t Look Up. And James Bond alumna Gemma Arterton, whose starring turn in The King’s Man last year garnered positive reviews, plays Peaches. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Rob Brydon (Green Eggs and Ham), and YouTuber Joe Sugg round out the cast.

Release Date

The Amazing Maurice was initially slated for a release in early 2022, but a series of minor production issues delayed the release. Nevertheless, it may actually get its premiere in the United Kingdom before the year is out. However, the film is now set for a general release in the United States on January 13, 2023.

How the film fares may have a bearing on Sky’s attitude towards further adaptations of Pratchett’s work. Aside from the three miniseries released in the early 2000s, productions of Discworld novels Unseen Academicals and Sourcery were mooted but never saw the light of day. Sky’s commitment to The Amazing Maurice, however, shows that interest at the company in the Discworld universe remains high, and a strong showing at the box office may well lead to further adaptations.