Rebecca Ferguson & Andrew Garfield’s New Fantasy Epic Based On 87-Year-Old Classic Series Debuts To Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

The new fantasy epic is an adaptation of Enid Blyton’s popular book series that ran from 1939 to 1951. With The Magic Faraway Tree having a star-studded cast that also features Claire Foy and Nicola Coughlan, a British family has just moved to the countryside, where a magic tree transports them to a fantasy world as they attempt to rebuild their bond.

With just 16 reviews so far, The Magic Faraway Tree debuts to a stunning 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The fantasy adaptation is deemed an enchanting and quirky family affair, fueled by uplifting messages that update the story to the modern-day issues of digital influence. Garfield and Foy bring the emotional weight, while Coughlan is praised for her eccentric performance.

Although the film’s substance doesn’t quite reach the levels of Paddington and Wonka and Ferguson’s villain is underdeveloped, critics agree that it’s still a worthwhile, whimsical adventure that will entertain families, especially since it’s rated PG. Due to the updated story, it’s worth noting that the film is not a faithful adaptation of Blyton’s story.

The rating is expected to fluctuate as more reviews get tabulated. As of writing, the movie is tied as Garfield’s highest-rated movie, while it is easily the best for Ferguson and Foy.

While The Magic Faraway Tree is becoming critically acclaimed, its development faced struggles along the way. As the first movie to adapt the book series, the project was announced in 2014 under Sam Mendes’ company Neal Street Productions. However, filming didn’t make much progress until a decade later, when Garfield and Foy were among the first cast members to join and set their reunion after starring in 2017’s Breathe.

Despite being the first movie iteration, the stories were previously adapted into a 1997 TV series. Compared to the movie, Enid Blyton’s Enchanted Lands contained ten-minute animated episodes, which ran on the Children’s BBC and CBBC on Choice. It does not have a Rotten Tomatoes score, but the IMDb rating is 8.4. Other Blyton stories to get the screen treatment include 1998’s Noddy series, 2020’s Malory Towers, and several adaptations of The Famous Five.

The Magic Faraway Tree just opened in limited theaters in countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. However, it doesn’t appear that the film has landed a release date in the United States. There are currently no updates on whether the film will get a theatrical distribution or go straight to streaming.

The Magic Faraway Tree was directed by Ben Gregor, with a screenplay by Simon Farnaby, who also wrote the latter two Paddington movies and Wonka with Paul King. The producers are Pippa Harris, Nicholas Brown, Danny Perkins, and Jane Hooks.