Count Clive Barker among those who have been influenced by the magical success of Harry Potter.  Barker has just forged a deal with Disney that will include a film based on a series of four 'children's' books he is writing for Harper Collins.  Barker sees the books, which are set in the mystical, lyrical world of  'Abarat' as appealing to adults as well as children.  'I think one of the things we've seen in the Harry Potter phenomenon is that adults, teenagers, and children can all enjoy the same thing, if it's the right same thing,' says Barker in this month's issue of Kidsreen Magazine.  Other key influences on Barker's new work include the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, the OZ books by L. Frank Baum, and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Barker began work on his books by painting over 250 canvases of the settings and characters for his new series.  Particularly impressive is the villain, Christopher Carrion, whose head is encased in a fluid-filled glass collar.  In contrast to this grotesque, the protagonist of the Abarat books is an ordinary 16-year-old girl from a small town in Minnesota.  Currently Barker is working on the first book in the cycle.  He has reached an agreement with Disney for a movie to be made from the first two books in the cycle.  The studio has not decided whether to make an animated film or a live action drama.  An animated film would mean that it would not be out until at least 2006, whereas a live action film could be ready as early as 2003.

Judging by the fluid-encased Christopher Carrion, the Abarat books are likely to be edgier than Harry Potter, but Barker clearly intends to make this series quite different from his horror novels.  His previous venture into children's literature, The Thief of Always, has been optioned by Universal, but as with many film projects, it languishes on the back burner.  Disney's major investment in the Abarat project means that it is more likely to be made into a film, but in the realm of Hollywood adaptations, nothing is for certain, and much may depend on the success of the Harry Potter film that will debut this winter.