ABOUT THIS EPISODE
It took producer Pippa Harris nearly 20 years to bring THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE to the big screen. In this episode of the ScreenUK Podcast, she joins director Ben Gregor and writer Simon Farnaby to share how they finally did it - and what it took to turn one of Enid Blyton's most beloved children's classics into a film worthy of the millions of people who grew up with it.
The conversation ranges from the nearly 40 drafts that shaped the script, to the custom tattoos Andrew Garfield insisted on, the beard-stroking unit that brought the Land of Know-Alls to life, and the independent VFX company they built above a tube station because no one else could afford to do it for them. It's a conversation about creative ambition, the chaos of independent filmmaking, and what it actually means to make a family film that works for everyone in the room - grandparents, parents, kids, and the rugby dads who didn't expect to cry.
THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE is in cinemas in the US from 21 August 2026. It is currently the second most successful independent UK film of the year.
Ben Gregor - Director
Ben Gregor is the director of THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE. He has previously collaborated with Simon Farnaby as an actor on projects including BLAKES JUNCTION 7 and ALL STARS, while his television directing credits include BLACK OPS, BRASSIC and BRITANNIA. His work on BRITANNIA led to his relationship with Pippa Harris and Nicolas Brown at Neal Street Productions. THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE marks his first collaboration with Farnaby as a writer.
Pippa Harris - Producer
Dame Pippa Harris DBE is an Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning film and television producer and co-founder of Neal Street Productions, which she established with Sam Mendes and Caro Newling in 2003. Her film credits include 1917, EMPIRE OF LIGHT, STARTER FOR TEN and HAMNET, while her television work includes CALL THE MIDWIFE, BRITANNIA, PENNY DREADFUL and THE HOLLOW CROWN. Pippa first began pursuing an adaptation of THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE nearly two decades ago.
Simon Farnaby - Writer / Cast
Simon Farnaby is a screenwriter, actor and author. His screenwriting credits include WONKA, PADDINGTON and PADDINGTON 2 with long-term collaborator Paul King, as well as MINDHORN and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN. His television work includes THE DETECTORISTS, HORRIBLE HISTORIES and GHOSTS. Simon wrote THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE and also appears in the film as local farmer Brian.
