Amazon MGM Studios Options Aaron Blabey’s ‘Game of Pets’ for Animated Feature Film Adaptation

By Jamie Lang | Enriched Reporting & Analysis
Published: October 23, 2026

Main Facts

Amazon MGM Studios is expanding its footprint in the family animation market by developing an animated feature film based on Game of Pets, the breakout children’s book series by bestselling Australian author Aaron Blabey. Best known for creating the cultural phenomena The Bad Guys and Thelma the Unicorn, Blabey’s imaginative narratives continue to prove immensely attractive to major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms alike.

The upcoming cinematic adaptation is being brought to life through a collaborative producing effort between Rideback and Foundation Media Partners. According to initial reports broken by Deadline, Rideback co-CEOs Jonathan Eirich and Michael LoFaso will serve as producers alongside Patrick Hughes, the founder of Foundation Media. Meanwhile, author Aaron Blabey and Rideback’s Nick Reynolds are attached to executive produce the project, ensuring the creative integrity of the source material remains intact as it makes the leap from page to screen.

Game of Pets follows the misadventures of Griff, an 11-year-old boy plagued by a multitude of severe allergies whose ordinary life is upended by a chance encounter with a talking axolotl named Bob. Through Bob, Griff discovers a staggering reality: everyday household pets are not merely domestic companions, but secret animal overlords, and Earth is unknowingly caught in the middle of a high-stakes intergalactic game show. The first installment of the series, titled The Boy Who Knew Too Much, was published by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group to enthusiastic early readers and critics.

Chronology

The journey of Game of Pets from concept to a major studio feature film represents a swift trajectory that underscores the immense marketability of Aaron Blabey’s intellectual properties (IP).

‘The Bad Guys,’ ‘Thelma The Unicorn’ Creator Aaron Blabey’s ‘Game Of Pets’ Is Getting An Animated Feature Adaptation

The Publishing Launch: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group formally introduced Aaron Blabey’s new universe to the literary world with the release of the series opener, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. The book immediately captured the attention of young readers, blending high-concept science fiction with accessible, humorous storytelling.
Early Development & Packaging: Foundation Media Partners—which maintains a deep, established relationship with Blabey’s literary portfolio—began packaging the IP for a screen adaptation. Foundation previously collaborated on bringing other Blabey creations to life across various platforms.
Studio Acquisition: Amazon MGM Studios stepped forward to acquire the rights, placing the project into active development as part of its growing slate of high-profile animated features.
Creative Team Assembled: Rideback boarded the project to co-produce alongside Foundation Media. Jonathan Eirich, Michael LoFaso, and Patrick Hughes locked in their producing roles, while Aaron Blabey and Nick Reynolds secured executive producer credits.
Public Announcement (October 23, 2026): The development deal was publicly unveiled, confirming that the high-concept cosmic pet comedy is officially heading toward the animation pipeline.

Supporting Data & Industry Background

To understand the magnitude of the Game of Pets acquisition, one must examine the staggering commercial track record of Aaron Blabey’s previous adaptations and the pedigree of the production companies involved.

The Blabey Brand: A Proven Box Office and Streaming Powerhouse

Aaron Blabey has solidified his status as one of the most bankable contemporary children’s authors. His properties have consistently translated into lucrative screen adaptations:

The Bad Guys: DreamWorks Animation adapted Blabey’s hit graphic novel series into a critically and commercially successful feature film, which resonated deeply with family audiences worldwide and spawned expanded cinematic universes.
Thelma the Unicorn: Directed by Jared Hess and Lynn Wang, this musical adaptation found a massive global audience on Netflix, proving Blabey’s versatility across different mediums and animation styles.

The Production Pedigree: Rideback and Foundation Media

The creative forces behind the Game of Pets movie bring formidable industry credentials to the table:

Rideback: The production banner is coming off an extraordinary theatrical triumph following Disney’s 2025 live-action Lilo & Stitch, which crossed the monumental $1 billion global box office threshold and reaffirmed the power of family-oriented creature features. Rideback’s previous hits also include Disney’s live-action Aladdin. Translating this expertise into an original animated feature like Game of Pets positions the studio to bridge live-action blockbuster sensibilities with animated world-building.
Foundation Media Partners: Having worked closely on both The Bad Guys and Thelma the Unicorn, Foundation Media possesses an intimate understanding of Blabey’s specific brand of humor, character dynamics, and visual pacing. Their ongoing partnership with the author ensures continuity in how his literary worlds are adapted for the screen.

Official Responses & Industry Perspectives

While formal statements from creative leads are rolling out as the project enters early development, industry insiders and studio representatives have signaled profound enthusiasm for the partnership.

The involvement of Amazon MGM Studios highlights the company’s aggressive strategy to secure globally recognizable, family-friendly intellectual properties that can drive both theatrical box office performance and long-term streaming engagement. By leaning into established literary hits, Amazon MGM is mitigating the risks traditionally associated with launching entirely original animated universes.

For Rideback, the project represents an exciting pivot back into high-concept animation following massive live-action successes. Co-CEOs Jonathan Eirich and Michael LoFaso, working alongside Foundation Media founder Patrick Hughes, view Game of Pets as a fertile creative playground that blends surreal cosmic comedy with grounded, relatable childhood experiences—a thematic sweet spot that made works like Lilo & Stitch and The Bad Guys global phenomena.

Furthermore, Aaron Blabey’s hands-on involvement as an executive producer ensures that the distinctive visual wit, eccentric character designs, and fast-paced narrative energy that define his books will remain central to the film’s artistic vision.

Implications for the Animation Industry

The greenlighting of the Game of Pets adaptation carries several significant implications for the contemporary animation landscape:

The Premium on Pre-Validated IP: In an increasingly competitive media market, studios continue to prioritize literary properties with built-in readerships. Blabey’s proven track record drastically reduces market uncertainty, making Game of Pets an attractive asset for global merchandising, consumer products, and potential franchise expansion.
Cross-Studio Collaborations: The partnership between Amazon MGM Studios, Rideback, and Foundation Media highlights a growing industry trend where traditional tech-backed studios leverage specialized production houses to handle IP packaging, creative development, and execution.
The Rise of Cosmic Comedy in Animation: By blending domestic mundanity (severe human allergies, house pets) with cosmic stakes (intergalactic game shows, secret animal overlords), Game of Pets taps into a narrative vein that appeals to a multi-generational demographic. If successful, the film could establish a new template for how eccentric, high-concept children’s literature is translated into cinematic gold.

As development continues under the watchful eyes of Amazon MGM, Rideback, and Foundation Media, animation fans and young readers alike will be watching closely to see how the secret lives of Earth’s animal overlords are brought to vibrant life on the big screen.