EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures is excited for screenwriter John August‘s graphic-novel retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” Wolf’s Belly, and beat several studios for the IP including Amazon, we understand.
August will adapt his work for the big screen, with four-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón producing.
August became inspired to write Wolf’s Belly as he always wondered what was happening to Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother inside the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. Ultimately in the fable, they are cut out. In Wolf’s Belly, Little Red Riding Hood and Grandmother find themselves in a magical void with other fairytale characters that the wolf has gobbled up, including the Boy who Cried Wolf and a fourth Little Pig. Together, they must find a way to escape. The project is being conceived for all audiences, per sources.
In addition to Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez is also producing, with Richard Schwartz executive producing on behalf of Esperanto Filmoj. Schwartz originally brought the project into the company, where it grew out of Esperanto’s existing relationship with August, who had shared the graphic novel exclusively with them.
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August and Cuarón discussed whether the project should be animation or live-action, and it was decided the latter is the way to go. One of the themes in Wolf’s Belly is the danger of wanting too much and what happens when we’re swallowed up by our own ambitions. The Macmillan imprint Roaring Brook Press graphic novel also delves into the wolf and how he came to be.
Wolf’s Belly was illustrated by character animation designer Simón Estrada, who August worked with on a previous project. Estrada is also an art director and visual developer. The graphic novel was published in 2026 and received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal.
August has a long-standing relationship with Sony Pictures including screenwriting credits on Big Fish, for which he received a BAFTA nomination; Charlie’s Angels; and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. In addition to movies, August has written the Arlo Finch middle-grade trilogy and the bestselling Scriptnotes book, based on his long-running podcast with Craig Mazin. August’s feature screenwriting credits also include Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (worldwide box office: $474.9 million) in addition to credits on several other titles with the filmmaker — i.e., Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows — as well as the Guy Ritchie-directed Disney live-action take on Aladdin ($1.054B).
August is represented by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and HJTH.
Cuarón is best known for Roma, Gravity, Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y Tu Mamá También. He is repped by WME and Blue Marble Management.
Jodi Reamer at Writers House repped the book. Connie Hsu at Macmillan Roaring Brook was editor of Wolf’s Belly.
