PRESS RELEASE
Madman Entertainment and Arenamedia have launched the official trailer for MAGIC BEACH, the big screen adaptation of Alison Lester’s beloved children’s book, directed by Robert Connolly (The Dry, Paper Planes). MAGIC BEACH is an exciting mix of live action and animation, and perfect family viewing for the Australian summer.
Alison Lester’s ‘Magic Beach’ is an ongoing bestseller, continuously in print for 35 years, with sales of over 500,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand. It remains one of Australia’s most popular and celebrated illustrated children’s books.
MAGIC BEACH is a story of wonder inspired by the everyday, it thrills children because they see themselves in the story, and for their parents and carers, it is a joyful reminder of the power and connection of imagination. Just as Paper Planes inspired thousands of children to fold pieces of paper to make their own planes, MAGIC BEACH will encourage children to draw, make, animate their own imaginative stories.
Synopsis: After captivating children and families for 30 years, Alison Lester’s beloved book MAGIC BEACH has been brought to life on screen by director Robert Connolly (Paper Planes) and some of Australia’s leading animators.
Take a trip with the ones you love through a unique mix of live action, entwined with extraordinary animated adventures that bring you to a dreamy seaside world where anything is possible. Featuring timeless characters, MAGIC BEACH is a captivating blend of reality and fantasy that inspires people of all ages to feel the sand beneath their toes and find wonder in the world around them.
MAGIC BEACH brings together 10 extraordinary Australian animators (Emma Kelly, Pierce Davison, Simon Rippingale, Marieka Walsh, Lee Whitmore, Kathy Sarpi, Susan Danta, Eddie White, Anthony Lucas and Jake Duczynski), who have given new life to the classic tale through their individual perspectives on the story.
In 2025, to mark the 35th anniversary of the first publication of Magic Beach, two new books will be published by Allen & Unwin. The first on 7 January 2025, is a special anniversary edition of ‘Magic Beach’, the complete original story with an updated cover referencing the film release. The second book will be released on 1 April 2025, called ‘Stories from Magic Beach’, a 96-page full-colour hardback keepsake that weaves stills from the film into stunning graphic novel sequences.
MAGIC BEACH is an Arenamedia production in association with VicScreen, the Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund, MPA APSA and Minderoo Pictures and was produced by Liz Kearney, Kate Laurie, Robert Connolly and Chloé Brugalé with executive producers Alison Lester and Robert Patterson.