Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines to be Adapted for Screen

With Screenplay Written by Peter Jackson

Mortal Engines, the first of a quartet of novels by Philip Reeve is to be adapted for film next year! Director Peter Jackson, who brought us The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is adapting the steampunk, post-apocalyptic novel, with filming scheduled to start in New Zealand in the spring of next year.

The fantastic, futuristic and vibrant world of Mortal Engines is perfect for the big screen, and the story is one that stays with you. The children’s book was winner of the Smarties prize, and was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize in 2002, the year of release.

Mortal Engines US
Mortal Engines UK

Mortal Engines imagines a steampunk, post-apocalyptic future where the world’s cities travel on big wheels, looking for remaining resources. The first book in a quartet, it’s richly written, thought provoking, and complex.

Jackson will write and produce the movie adaptation, in a move that has been a long time coming. It was 2009 when Jackson first propositioned Scholastic for rights for the book, and with filming starting early next year, there’ll soon be a whir of publicity, trailers and hype as the world awaits the movie.

If you haven’t read Mortal Engines, don’t be put off by it being a children’s book, it appeals to all ages. You have a little while yet left to watch it before the movie release, as casting hasn’t even taken place yet and it’s likely to be more than a year before this hits the big screen.