Terry Pratchett isn’t just living on in the clacks, but in theaters with the release of the animated feature The Amazing Maurice.

If you’re ready for a fairy tale, brace yourself – because we’re not talking about the Brothers Grimm, my friend. You’re in Discworld now.

Back in November of last year, to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the book the film is based on, Sky Cinema gave the world a solid first look at The Amazing Maurice with some incredible production stills depicting most of the main cast. Now, however, the official trailer has been released to show us the art in action – and it doesn’t disappoint.

With a bit of fourth wall busting irreverence that would do Pratchett proud, the trailer features Malicia (Emilia Clarke) speaking to both the audience and to Keith (Himesh Patel) as she explains the mechanics of a good fairy tale. What to expect, who goes where…and while Keith, the musical patsy for the scheming crook of a cat known as Maurice (Hugh Laurie) is quite enamored with her, it’s clear he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in Pandemonium with her.

The various and sundry images from the film do show a certain deviation from the original children’s book – The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents, the first of the Discworld books ever written for kids – in that this is no longer an original take on The Pied Piper of Hamlin. Rather, featuring voice acting for the Piper himself, the story may now more specifically intersect with the well known German fairy tale, and in doing so become a more open parody of not just the story, but of folklore as a whole.

One thing is absolutely for sure: this may be a children’s movie, but it’s going to appeal to adults as well. The meta moments in the trailer are laugh out loud witty, and the film embraces a slightly darker sense of humor with jokes about survival in the sewers. Watching one of the lead rats educate his comrades on when to avoid eating a dead rat by walking along a string of far less informed rat skeletons up to one with his head half shoved into a trap containing poison tells you all you need to know if you’re considering giving this one a watch.

While it’s definitely a ringing endorsement that The Amazing Maurice has the support of the Pratchett estate, and Whovians will be unable to resist the call of David Tennant voicing the wise-rat Dangerous Beans, as long as the full film lives up to the trailer? There’s something in this movie for the whole family.

Are you a Pratchett fan waiting for this one with baited breath? Which of the big names in this cast of voice actors has you the most excited? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to keep an eye out this Christmas season so you can celebrate Hogswatch in style with the release of The Amazing Maurice.

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