Netflix doesn’t care how many people tune in for its latest hot fantasy shows, because the axe is ready to swing at any given moment. Fans are still reeling from The Imperfects biting the bullet after a single 10-episode season, but at least Fate: The Winx Saga managed to get two full runs out of the streamer before being thrown onto the discard pile.
Creator Iginio Straffi has evidently responded very well to the rejection, by revealing that he’s now planning to mount a feature film version of the property with a budget of $100 million. Shopping a canned show to various networks and on-demand platforms is one thing, but a big budget blockbuster is an entirely different beast.
As you’d imagine, Straffi compared his plans to the world of Harry Potter and superheroes when discussing the project with Variety, even though nobody’s actually agreed to stump up the financing just yet.
“We started with the TV series, which had a more accessible budget and was a bit easier to finance. Netflix believed in it and I think they got a good return. These will comprise not just the characters’ relationships in school — which are what the Rainbow animation TV series revolves around — but the franchise’s more epic fantasy aspect: transformations, battles with witches, the Trix, something more similar to Harry Potter or superhero movies.”
You can’t fault his dedication to the cause, but doing the Hollywood version of knocking on people’s doors and asking for a nine-figure injection to breathe new life into an IP that’s already been given the boot by Netflix theoretically doesn’t make the feature-length Winx an easier sell. Then again, Straffi might get exactly what he asked for, so we’ll be curious to see what happens.
