Elton snaps up film rights to local author’s tales of trolls and dragons

Derek Keilty paid a visit to Lisburn last week where he met children from Central Primary School at Waterstones.

For those who are unaware of the author’s Will Gallows series, these stories might not mean much, but for children across the world Derek’s stories have fuelled imaginations, with the series having become a smash hit.

Now Will Gallows is about to hit the big screen after the deal with Rocket Pictures, who have been behind some of the most successful animated movies in recent years including Gnomeo and Juliet. To add to the excitement, Shrek 2 director, Kelly Asbury has been named as director.

The movie of Will Gallows and the Snake Bellied Troll will be a live-action/CGI-animated feature. Based on the first book in Derek’s series, it will tell the story of a young cowboy who seeks justice in a world that mashes together fantasy and the Wild West.

Rocket Pictures’ Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish will produce, and Elton himself will be executive producer.

Speaking about the production last year, Elton John said: “It’s a classic cowboy story for kids, set in an amazing world. We think family audiences will love it.”

Derek met Primary 6 pupils from Central to coincide with World Book Day.

He has written a number of successful books for children, including the Weird Files series, but Will Gallows has proved to be his most popular character to date, fusing wild west wrangling with science fiction monsters and dragons.

The second book in the series, Will Gallows and the Thunder Dragon’s Roar, was launched this month and both books are available at Waterstones Lisburn.

A Waterstones spokesperson said: “The Derek Keilty event went very well and we’ve had a steady stream of people coming in to buy his books since - they were our bestselling children’s books last week.”

Waterstones are hoping to have Derek back for another event in the near future.

[email protected]