Universal to make 'Where's Wally?'

Universal has picked up the movie rights to children's book series Where's Wally? from Classic Media.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment will produce the live-action family movie, with Classic's Eric Ellenbogen serving as executive producer.

Illustrator Martin Handford's creation, renamed Waldo in the US, wears a red-and-white shirt, glasses and carries a walking stick. In the books, the character is hidden among a crowd and readers are asked to find him. Later stories feature him travelling through time and facing his nemesis Odlaw.

Paramount previously held the big screen rights to Wally? and planned to make a movie which would have seen the character activate a faulty time machine.