Ron Howard heading to Netflix with his first feature-length animated movie

Ron Howard is making his first feature-length foray into animation with an adaptation of a beloved children’s book. The acclaimed director is making a version of The Shrinking of Treehorn, which has been picked up by Netflix.

Per Deadline, the movie is described as a musical set in New York City during the festive season. It’s based on the 1971 children’s book of the same name written by Florence Parry Heide. This follows a young boy called Treehorn who wakes up one day to find he is shrinking.

No casting news has been confirmed yet for the new project but some details have been revealed about who will be involved creatively. Peter Rabbit screenwriter Rob Lieber has adapted the script for the project. Howard’s production company Imagine Entertainment is involved – as is Animal Logic.

Howard has some experience in adapting a beloved children’s book for the screen thanks to the hugely popular movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The live-action film starred Jim Carrey in the title role and has become a festive favorite. The Oscar-winning director is also known for his films A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon, Willow, and Apollo 13.

Howard's next movie is Thirteen Lives, which follows the harrowing true tale of 12 boys and their soccer coach who found themselves trapped in a flooded Thai cave. Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen play two of the rescue team in the upcoming film.

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.