The Wingfeather Saga
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| Author | Andrew Peterson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Joe Sutphin |
| Cover artist | Nicholas Kole |
| Language | English |
| Discipline | Fantasy, young adult fiction, children's fiction |
| Publisher |
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| No. of books | 7 |
| Website | https://www.wingfeathersaga.com |
The Wingfeather Saga is a series of four children's fantasy novels written by singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson. It is being adapted into a free-to-watch, seven-season animated television series by Angel Studios, with Peterson as an executive producer along with J. Chris Wall. Production of the show has been funded by equity crowdfunding. The first season aired from December 2, 2022, to March 10, 2023, with the second season planned to be released in March 2024. The series proper consists of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, and The Warden and the Wolf King.
Premise
The series relates the adventures Igiby family, made up of grandfather Podo, mother Nia, and three children, Janner, Tink, and Leeli. They discover secrets of their family history, then run the evil Fangs of Dang who are occupying the country of Skree where the Igibys were raised. They combat Gnag the Nameless, the master of the Fangs. The story takes place in the fantasy world of Aerwiar, which has not developed electricity or firearms and which a number of strange creatures.
Related books
The series has a number of related books.
- Pembrick's Creaturepedia (2014), a guide to the creatures of Skree, written by Andrew Peterson and illustrated by Aedan Peterson.
- Wingfeather Tales (2016), an anthology written by various authors and edited by Andrew Peterson.
- A Ranger's Guide to Glipwood Forest (2023), a field guide written by Andrew Peterson and illustrated by Aedan Peterson.
Main characters
Janner Igiby (Wingfeather)
Janner is the oldest brother. He helps around the farm and bookstore and has a dream to sail. As the oldest, the ancient role of Throne Warden (protector of the king) belongs to him and places much pressure on his shoulders.
Kalmar Igiby (Wingfeather)
Tink (Kalmar, his birth name as mentioned early on in the book) is the second born younger brother. He is revealed to be heir to the throne by the Annieran tradition that the second child inherits the crown.
Leeli Igiby (Wingfeather)
Leeli is the youngest and only sister. She is musically talented, and crippled, but brave and adept with her crutches. She is gifted a Whistleharp, that is later revealed to have belonged to her great-grandmother, Madia, Queen of Anniera.
Nia Igiby (Wingfeather)
The regal mother to Janner, Tink and Leeli, and later revealed to be Queen of the Shining Isle of Anniera. After the Fangs took control she hid herself and her children by returning to the town her father grew up in, and taking her mother's maiden name, Igiby.
Podo Helmer
Podo is Nia's father, and grandfather to Janner, Tink, and Leeli. He has a rough love for his grandsons but a soft spot for his granddaughter. He tends the garden, protects the family, and tells stories of his former wild life as a pirate at sea. A dragon bit off his leg and he replaced it with a peg leg, often described as a stump.
Esben Wingfeather
Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli's father, High King of the Shining Isle of Anniera. Assumed to be dead after the invasion of Anniera.
Artham Wingfeather (Peet the Sock Man)
Artham was Esben Wingfeather's older brother and the Throne Warden. At the start of the saga he is mad. It is revealed the socks conceal that his hands have been magically transformed into talons.
Oskar Noss Reteep
An old, wise, roundish, well-read bookseller and gentle soul. He is also a self-proclaimed "appreciator of the neat, strange, and/or yummy". He lived in his Glipwood bookstore, Books and Crannies, before traveling with the Igiby family through Aerwiar and eventually settling down in the Green Hollows.
Sara Cobbler
A friend of Janner who was taken by the Fangs to be a slave. When Janner is later taken, she helps him escape and afterwards leads a mass exodus of other young slaves.
Gammon Felda (The Florid Sword)
The leader of the rebellion against the Fangs and the dark hero of Dugtown. He also became the adopted father of Maraly Weaver.
Maraly Weaver (Shadow Blade)
A member of one of the bands of vagabond outlaws called Stranders. She helped Artham Wingfeather and was later adopted by Gammon after her biological father, Claxton Weaver, died.
Animated series
| The Wingfeather Saga | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
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| Created by | J. Chris Wall |
| Based on | The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson |
| Starring |
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| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Animator | Keith Lango |
| Running time | 26-35 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Budget | $11.5 million (to date) |
| Original release | |
| Release | December 2, 2022 – present |
In March 2016 a Kickstarter was successfully funded[1] to produce a pilot episode for a 7-season animated series adaptation. That campaign also funded a series of short stories set in the world of Aerwiar. The stories were written by Andrew Peterson, Jennifer Trafton, N. D. Wilson, A. S. Peterson, Jonathan Rogers, and Douglas Kaine McKelvey. They were illustrated by Cory Godbey, Nicholas Kole, John Hendrix, Joe Sutphin, Doug TenNapel, Justin Gerard, and Aedan Peterson;[2] and the musical score was composed by The Arcadian Wild and Kurt Heinecke.[3]
The fifteen-minute short film, titled A Crow for the Carriage, was premiered on November 2, 2017, at Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee.[4] The short is available for streaming on multiple platforms.[5] The series' producer, J. Chris Wall, and author, Andrew Peterson, then tried to pitch the show to film and television outlets.[6]
The show went through another round of crowdfunding with investment platform Angel Studios in May 2021. The campaign was able to raise $5 million in total, with $1 million being raised in the first 48 hours. This campaign met its goal, raising enough money to fund the production of Season 1, which covered and adapted the events of the first book. The first episode, Leeli and the Dragon Song (later renamed Leeli and the Sea Dragon Song), released on December 2 free on the Angel Studios app, YouTube, and Facebook. The second and third rounds of crowdfunding for Season 2 began soon after with a goal of $6.5 million. Production began in 2023 on Season 2, which covers the first half of Book 2, with a planned release date of early 2024. The series is being distributed by Angel Studios.[7]
Cast
- Alkaio Thiele as Janner Igiby (Wingfeather)
- Griffin Robert Faulkner as Tink (Kalmar) Igiby (Wingfeather)
- Romy Fay as Leeli Igiby (Wingfeather)
- Jodi Benson as Nia Igiby (Wingfeather)
- Kevin McNally as Podo Helmer
- Andrew Peterson as Oskar Noss Reteep
- Henry Ian Cusick as Peet
- Enn Reitel as Zouzab, Buzzard Willie, Shaggy
- Kellen Goff as Slarb, Brak, Yurgen, General Khrak
- Kari Wahlgren as the Stonekeeper
- Christopher Robin Miller as Commander Gnorm, Vop, Mobrik
- Adam Sietz as Mayor Blaggus, Critch
- Eva Whittaker as Maraly Weaver
- Lesley Nicol as Nurgabog
- Will De Renzy-Martin as Claxton Weaver
- Billy Boyd as the Overseer
- Ezra Knight as Ronchy McHiggins
Episodes
Season 1 (2022–23)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Leeli and the Sea Dragon Song" | Bill Breneisen | Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan | December 2, 2022 |
| 2 | 2 | "A Mysterious Map" | John Sanford | Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan | December 16, 2022 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Catacombs Below" | John Sanford | Douglas Kaine McKelvey | December 30, 2022 |
| 4 | 4 | "Escape to Peet's Castle" | John Sanford | Lauren Gauthier | February 10, 2023 |
| 5 | 5 | "Fruit for Zouzab" | John Sanford | Lauren Gauthier | February 24, 2023 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Jewels of Anniera" | John Sanford | Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan | March 10, 2023 |
Future seasons
Season 2 has a projected release date of 2024, and will cover the second half of Book 2. Season 3 has a projected release date of 2025, and will cover the first half of Book 3. Season 4 has a projected release date of 2026, and will cover the second half of Book 3. Season 5 has a projected release date of 2027, and will cover the first half of Book 4. Season 6 has a projected release date of 2028, and will cover the second half of Book 4.[8]
References
- ^ "The Wingfeather Saga Animated Series". Kickstarter.
- ^ "The Wingfeather Saga – Books". Wingfeather Saga official website.
- ^ Sidler, Madame (July 16, 2018). "Wingfeather Film Soundtrack!". The Wingfeather Saga. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ "Andrew Peterson's 'The Wingfeather Saga' Short Film to Premiere at Belcourt Theatre". Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ "It's Here at Last! Tell EVERYBODY". Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ "Andrew Peterson's THE WINGFEATHER SAGA Short Film Premieres". November 3, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ Fowler, Megan (June 3, 2021). "Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga Raises $5M for TV Series". News & Reporting. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "The Wingfeather Saga - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023.