Egyptian-born comedian, writer, critic and doctor Bassem Youssef (The Daily Show, Tickling Giants) is working on an adaptation of his upcoming children’s book The Magical Reality of Nadia with Austin, Texas-based Powerhouse Animation Studios. The “humorous and heartfelt” story inspired by Youssef’s own experiences centers on a young girl navigating prejudice and finding friendship.
In the book, fact-loving Nadia is determined to win a contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum, but is caught off guard when a new kid teases her about her Egyptian heritage. Things take a magical turn when the hippo amulet she wears starts glowing, and turns out to hold a secret: the spirit of an ancient Egyptian teacher named Titi, trapped inside 2,000 years ago.
Written with Catherine R. Daly (Petal Pushers) and illustrated by Douglas Holgate, the first Nadia book will arrive from Scholastic Kids in February.
Youssef will serve as executive producer of the series and provide the voice of Titi. Powerhouse CEO & CCO Brad Graeber and writer Daniel Dominguez are also executive producing the series, which is aiming for a streaming platform pick-up.
Well known for the breakout Netflix adult animated series like Castlevania, Seis Manos and Blood of Zeus, Powerhouse’s kids TV credits include The Adventures of Kid Danger (Nickelodeon) and It’s a Small World: The Animated Series (Disney online exclusive). The studio is also at work on Mattel’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation for Netflix, executive produced by showrunner Kevin Smith.
A heart surgeon in his home country who used his skill to help wounded Tahrir Square protesters in 2011, Youssef became a household name as the host of groundbreaking political satire show Al Bernameg (The Show) from 2011-2014, earning comparisons to The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart. He has appeared on that series as well as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME in 2013.
[Source: Deadline]
