A film version of The Magic Faraway Tree, the popular children’s fantasy book by Enid Blyton, is in development after director Sam Mendes’ company, Neal Street productions, bought the rights to it.
This would be unremarkable but for one word which Blyton included in the novel, which was first published in 1943: Google.
Among the wacky characters Blyton created for the story, which revolves around a group of children and their non-human friends who use a magic tree as a portal to a series of extraordinary lands, one of them, Moonface, often makes “Google Buns” to eat as a snack.
This is a description of a Google Bun as taken from the book:
“Come on,” said Moonface. “Come and eat a Google Bun and see what you think of it.”
Soon they were all sitting on the broad branches outside Moonface’s house, eating Pop Biscuits and Google Buns. The buns were most peculiar. They each had a very large currant in the middle, and this was filled with sherbet. So when you got to the currant and bit it the sherbet frothed out and filled your mouth with fine bubbles that tasted delicious. The children got a real surprise when they bit their currants, and Moonface almost fell off the branch with laughing.
It’s been suggested that Google executives are unhappy at the prospect of the name of their company being tied to this film in any way. A source said one reason for their sensitivity is that some cinema-goers may hear the word “Google” and assume that the tech giant has resorted to crass product placement.
The source said: “Those unfamiliar with the book will think Google has something to do with the film when it doesn’t. The company should relax and look upon it as free marketing, even though it isn’t, but there is a definite dilemma here.”
As Blyton’s book was written halfway through the second world war, it is hard to see how Google could doctor the script to prevent it being mentioned. Conceivably, they might find themselves in the unusual position of paying not to have the name included in the film.
The book has already been subject to some changes to avoid sniggers from modern readers. Two of the children were originally called Dick and Fanny. Their names have been changed in later editions to Rick and Frannie.
When Heat Street asked, a spokesman for Neal Street Productions confirmed the film is in development.
Google did not respond to questions.
