Disney is preparing its next major storytelling chapter, and the company is already signaling confidence in the franchise it hopes will succeed the cultural wave once created by Harry Potter.
During The Walt Disney Company’s (DIS) fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter earnings reveal, executives highlighted strong performances across theatrical and Disney Experiences. The company spotlighted recent box office triumphs while skipping past titles such as Disney’s Snow White (2025), Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and Tron: Ares (2025).
Disney’s recent track record reinforced how firmly its tentpole franchises still anchor the studio’s success. Over the last two years, four different releases crossed the $1 billion global mark, a benchmark Disney says remains unmatched by any competing studio.
That momentum carried into 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands (2025), which earned the biggest opening in the franchise’s nearly four-decade history. With that launch, The Walt Disney Studios surpassed $4 billion at the worldwide box office for the fourth consecutive year.
Looking ahead, the company emphasized confidence in its upcoming calendar. “Heading into the holiday season, we are excited to bring audiences Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash,” Disney shared. “Looking ahead, our calendar 2026 slate includes numerous highly anticipated titles such as 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2, Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, Pixar’s Toy Story 5, Disney’s live-action Moana, and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday.”
But Disney also shone a spotlight on something further out: its latest acquisition, widely positioned as the studio’s next potential fantasy epic. Last month, the company secured rights to Katherine Rundell’s “Impossible Creatures.”
“We also recently acquired the highly coveted rights to the acclaimed ‘Impossible Creatures’ book series, which we anticipate will become another exciting new storytelling franchise for Disney,” the summary reads.
The studio’s move marks a significant investment in an ambitious five-book saga that many industry watchers are already comparing to the next big contender in modern fantasy. Only two installments—”Impossible Creatures” (2023) and “Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King” (2025)—have been published so far.
“In a deal worth a substantial seven figures, Walt Disney Studios won an auction to acquire rights to ‘Impossible Creatures,’ the fantasy series by acclaimed British author Katherine Rundell,” Deadline reported. “She will adapt the first two books in the series into screenplays.”
Set across the secretive Glimouria Archipelago, Rundell’s world features remote islands and magical beasts created for sweeping cinematic translation. The story follows Christopher and Mal as they fight to protect a fading realm of mythic creatures. Its themes of friendship, discovery, and adventure align directly with Disney’s long-standing approach to franchise storytelling.
The series has already found a large readership, with over one million copies sold across its first two entries. Rundell’s broader work exceeds four million sales, establishing her as one of the most prominent voices in modern fantasy literature. Her direct involvement in adapting and producing the first two films ensures a close connection between page and screen, alongside producer Charles Collier. Disney executives, including Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, have already praised the scope and emotion of the material.
For Disney, the acquisition signals a renewed investment in fantasy at a time when audiences are looking for the next saga to follow. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. continues to develop its new television adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels for HBO, a project that has drawn steady attention due to Rowling’s involvement and casting announcements.
Will “Impossible Creatures” launch Disney’s next big fantasy era? Share your thoughts with us below.
