First the muppets, then Narnia, and now this -- Disney is sure snapping up hot properties these days ... and all while Michael Eisner is losing control of the company!

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Disney to Make Movies from Judy Blume Books
Tuesday March 9 2:24 PM ET

The Walt Disney Co, author Judy Blume and independent producer Jane Startz have agreed to make movies based on Blume's hit kids books like "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret," Disney said on Tuesday.

First on the development list will be "Deenie," about a young teenage girl seeking to define herself beyond the wishes of her parents.

Financial details of the deal were undisclosed.

"The name Judy Blume is synonymous with great young adult literature. Everyone discovers her books in fifth grade and grows up with her -- she strikes a chord with humor and heart while never preaching," Nina Jacobson, president of Disney's Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, said in a statement.

Blume's books have sold over 75 million copies in 26 languages worldwide. Six of her titles are among the top ten all-time, best-selling children's books.

Startz's producer credits include the upcoming "Ella Enchanted" for Disney unit, Miramax Films, "Tuck Everlasting" for Walt Disney Pictures and "The Mighty" for Miramax.

The deal is the second high-profile series of books Disney has signed up as source material for movies after it and movie maker Pixar Animation Studios Inc. failed to strike a deal to make more films when their current contract expires.

Last week, Disney agreed to co-finance and distribute "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which will be based on the series of "Narnia" books from author C.S. Lewis. Those books, the first of which was published in 1950, have sold over 85 million copies around the globe.

Disney's deal with Pixar had been highly lucrative for the company and had produced blockbusters like "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc."

Disney's management, including Chief Executive Michael Eisner, have been criticized for being unable to strike a new deal with Pixar.

Funny thing, when I went to junior high at First Baptist Acadamy in Dallas, we had a day when students could order reading books. Bloom was one of the only authors whose books we weren't allowed to order. I had read quite a bit of her stuff, and I couldn't understand this restriction, nor could I get any of the teachers to give me a straight answer. Is there something negatively subversive in her stuff that I didn't pick up on back then?

solishu wrote:
: Is there something negatively subversive in her stuff that I didn't pick up
: on back then?

I remember hearing, back in grade school, that some of her books for teens or older readers got a bit torrid at times. But as for her children's books, I think they were considered ground-breaking at the time because they dealt with stuff like menstruation in a fairly matter-of-fact way -- I remember reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret precisely because it provided an interesting window into this secret feminine world.