Sony recently announced plans to create a live-action version of the classic picture book Harold and the Purple Crayon, and Zachary Levi (Shazam, Chuck) has signed on to star in the film.
Harold and the Purple Crayon, a popular picture book by Crockett Johnson, was originally published in 1955 and tells the story of a little boy named Harold who uses his purple crayon to create wonderful things in the world around himself. The book has been immensely popular over the years, and spawned six sequels about Harold and his magical crayon; however, Hollywood has yet to make a big-screen success out of the story. Thus the news that Sony is moving forward with a live-action adaptation comes as a pleasant surprise to those who have long been hoping for a film adaptation.
It is unclear yet as to what exactly Levi’s role will be in the film. The book only really features two characters: 4-year-old Harold and his purple crayon. While it would be amusing to see Levi play either role, they both seem like unlikely choices for the actor. This raises the question of what exactly the project’s screen writers David Guion and Michael Handelman (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) will be doing with their adaptation. Could we be getting a version of the story as told by an older version of Harold, or maybe by one of his parents? Also, as a live-action film how will the creations of Harold and his crayon be brought to life? There are so many possibilities, fans of the book will be watching closely to see where this adaptation will take the story.
Be sure to check back here for more updates on this project as they come in.
