Terry Pratchett book The Wee Free Men to be made into movie

A BOOK by Sir Terry Pratchett about a horde of kilt-wearing Scottish creatures is to be turned into a big screen blockbuster.

Terry Pratchett's book The Wee Free Men to be made into a movie. Picture: Phil Wilkinson/TSPL

The late author’s family have teamed up with the Jim Henson Company, creators of The Muppets, to make a film of his 2003 novel The Wee Free Men.

Part of his popular Discworld series, it follows the adventures of Tiffany Aching, a young witch-in-training whose brother is kidnapped by the Queen of the Fairies.

She attempts to rescue him with the aid of the titular “Wee Free Men” or Nacmac Feegles, a clan of tiny, blue-painted, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding warriors who speak with broad Glaswegian accents.

The characters are also known as “pictsies”, a name based on the Picts, tribes that were dominant in Dark Age Scotland.

The names of the characters include Daft Wullie, Big Yan, Big Aggie, Wee Mad Arthur and Awfully Wee Billy Bigchin.

The script for the movie will be written by the author’s daughter, Rhianna Pratchett.

She said: “I’ve loved the Jim Henson Company’s work all my life, so it’s a great honour to team up with them and bring Wee Free Men to the big screen.”

Brian Henson, chairman of The Jim Henson Company chairman who also made the 1986 David Bowie film Labyrinth, said: “As a family owned company, we fully understand the importance of legacy properties.

“The Discworld series is a richly developed world with devoted fans, myself included, and there is no one better than Rhianna to bring Terry’s beloved project to life on the big screen.”

Best known as a video-game writer for Tomb Raider, Rhianna Pratchett is co-founder of Narrativia Limited, the company which owns the rights to the works of her late father, who died in March last year.

The Wee Free Men would be the first Pratchett novel to reach the big screen, though several of his books have been adapted for television by Sky, and for radio by the BBC.

Sir Terry died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He wrote more than 70 books during his career.

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