Lost Ollie is quickly becoming Netflix‘s next big hit, with the series delighting viewers and critics alike with its charming visuals and moving storyline. Many viewers are curious, though, if Lost Ollie is based on a book or if it is an original creation written for Netflix.
Here is everything you need to know about Lost Ollie and its origins.
What is Lost Ollie about?
Lost Ollie is a hybrid live-action, computer-generated miniseries created by Shannon Tindle and directed by Peter Ramsey. The series follows Ollie, a stuffed toy rabbit that gets separated from the little boy that loves him and sets off on an epic quest to find his way home to the boy’s arms. Along the way, he’ll have to endure a lot of hardship and keep pushing forward if he wants to meet his goal.
Lost Ollie has an all-star cast that includes Jonathan Groff as Ollie, the musician Mary J. Blige as Rosy, legendary actor and playwright Tim Blake Nelson as Zozo, and Gina Rodriguez as the mother.
Is Lost Ollie based on a book?
Lost Ollie was written for the screen by Shannon Tindle who confirmed that the series is based on Ollie’s Odyssey. This book from 2016 was written by beloved writer and artist William Joyce.
Joyce has written several children’s books and is most known for his long-running Rolie Polie Olie series that launched in 1999 and was adapted into a popular television show. In 2012, his Guardians Of Childhood series of books was adapted into the popular Rise of the Guardians movie, so he is a writer who knows how to make stories with mass appeal.
Simon & Schuster describe Ollie’s Odyssey by saying:
“In the secret realm of toys, there are many mysteries.
There is the Code of the Toys, which is as ancient as childhood.
There’s also the magic of becoming a child’s favorite, the highest honor in the Toy World.
Made by hand by Billy’s mother, Ollie is a special toy, “a toy who will matter.” He becomes Billy’s best friend, confidant, pal, and yes, Billy’s “favorite.”
But there are villains in the Toy World, and Zozo, the clown king, is the most feared. He and his toy henchman (the Creeps) have sworn to steal and imprison favorite toys until they forget their children and become forever lost.
When Ollie is toynapped, Billy must rescue his beloved favorite from Zozo’s subterranean lair in the old Carnival Place, past the park, through the woods, and into the night.
Never has a journey of ten blocks been more epic.”