After years of false starts, a movie based on the hit graphic novel by ND Stevenson is finally in development at Netflix. Nimona will feature the voices of Chloe Grace Mortez (of Carrie, Kick-Ass, and that one recurring role on 30 Rock) and Riz Ahmed, from The Sound Of Metal.
The official plot summary from Netflix:
A Knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.
Stevenson confirmed the news on Twitter.
Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop. She’s a fighter…but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her. I am excited out of my mind to announce that THE NIMONA MOVIE IS ALIVE…coming at you in 2023 from Annapurna and Netflix
pic.twitter.com/wEZuM2sXTt
— ND Stevenson (@Gingerhazing) April 11, 2022
A movie based on Stevenson’s graphic novel has been in the works for some time, with a complex history: the project was originally backed by Blue Sky Studios of 20th Century Fox, though Disney acquired Fox last spring, and not long after that, production on the project was halted, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rumors swirled that the movie was axed due to a homosexual relationship in the story.
Disney famously tries their best to limit the number of gay characters in the story by not allowing any at all, though things are changing fast!