AceShowbiz -

Ellen DeGeneres is teaming up with her partner at A Very Good Production banner, Jeff Kleeman, to produce an adaptation of Naomi Novik's new fantasy novel "Uprooted", according to The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Bros. won a heated bidding war against Lionsgate and Fox 2000 for the movie rights. Niija Kuykendall and Julia Spiro will oversee the project for the studio.

The book, which was released on May 21, tells a story of "a young woman named Agnieszka, who lives near the border of an evil wood, with only a wizard named Dragon who seems to keep the danger at bay. The price for the man's protection is that a woman from the village is sent to serve him for 10 years, and to everyone's surprise, the rather plain Agnieszka is selected. Thus the adventurous journey begins."

"Uprooted" has been described as inspired with shades of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Howl's Moving Castle".

Naomi's award-winning book series "Temeraire" was optioned by Peter Jackson back in 2006. At that time, Peter said the book series "is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love-fantasy and historical epic. I can't wait to see Napoleonic battles fought with a squadron of dragons. That's what I go to the movies for."