The children’s fantasy novel series written by Brian Jacques will soon be made into a brand new Netflix show, and it’s prompted some warm nostalgia.
Netflix has announced that Redwall, the series of fantasy books featuring anthropomorphic animals, is currently in the works, under the same creator as the animated series Over the Garden Wall.
Big news! The creator of Over The Garden Wall is working on a Redwall adaptation for Netflix! I'm already preparing myself for the feast scenes. pic.twitter.com/6bie3CwpqI
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) February 10, 2021
The original tweet teases mouth-watering “feast scenes”, and for fans of the books these need no introduction; but for the curious, the Twitter account Redwall Feasts provides a vital public service by reposting the descriptions of hearty meals featured in the books:
Lattice-topped strawberry tarts sat alongside honey an' blackberry pies and hazelnut pudding. To refresh the palate there was apple cider, chestnut ale, cellar-cooled rose-petal and plum-flower tea, fizzy honey an' blackberry cordial, and whortleberry cup.
— Redwall Feasts Bot (@RedwallFeasts) February 13, 2021
Now that doesn’t sound half bad.
The book series recounts legendary tales of the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey and the countryside of Mossflower Wood β but this isn’t the familiar cast of nobility and peasants that populate most fantasy tomes; instead, the characters include mice, otters, hares, and badgers, for a woodland spin on the genre.
Published between 1986 and 2011 and numbering 22 in total, the children’s books have a special place in the heart of several generations. Speaking to Variety, Ben Horslen, Fiction Publisher at Penguin Random House, said “We couldnβt be more delighted to announce this deal. These perennially popular stories have been etched onto the hearts of millions of readers, and we are thrilled to partner with Netflix to bring those beloved characters on screen for families worldwide to enjoy.”
Inevitably the news was met with a warm wave of nostalgia online, including bursts of creative homage like the post below:
I *might* have to make a painting out of this tiny Matthias doodle with all the Redwall hype rn πβοΈ pic.twitter.com/TPrPr6NfOB
— ππππππππ ππππππ (@fpiatti) February 10, 2021
And as is par for the course when anything trends on Twitter, it was also accused of racism (presumably towards rats):
The Redwall Netflix series could be pretty cool. I do hope they try to tone down the racism a bit though
— ππMothmanππ (@three_lizards) February 10, 2021
This adaptation has come during a particularly popular period for fantasy adaptations, with Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings series and two new Game of Thrones series on the horizon at HBO Max. But this one promises to be far more child-friendly than the others, coming as it does from the creators of the quirky kids’ show Over the Garden Wall.
(What I’m gently trying to tell you is that no, this will not be Game of Thrones for furries.)
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