Sony Lands John August’s ‘Wolf’s Belly,’ With Alfonso Cuarón Set to Produce

John August’s Wolf’s Belly reimagines Little Red Riding Hood from inside the wolf, with Alfonso Cuarón producing Sony’s adaptation. / Macmillen Publishing

Sony Pictures has landed the screen rights to Wolf’s Belly, screenwriter John August’s graphic novel reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood, with four-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón attached to produce.

According to Deadline, Sony won the project following interest from multiple studios, including Amazon. August will adapt his own graphic novel for the screen, with the project being developed as a live-action feature intended for audiences of all ages.

Wolf’s Belly takes one of the more unusual questions raised by the familiar fairy tale and builds an entirely new story around it: What exactly happened to Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother while they were trapped inside the wolf?

August’s story finds the pair alive within a magical void inside the creature, where they discover they are far from alone. Other fairy-tale characters swallowed by the wolf have also become trapped there, including the Boy Who Cried Wolf and a previously unknown fourth Little Pig.

Together, the characters must determine how to escape.

The graphic novel also expands the mythology surrounding the wolf himself, exploring how the creature became the figure audiences recognize from the traditional story. Among the themes running through August’s version is the danger of unchecked desire and what can happen when ambition ultimately consumes the person pursuing it.

August developed Wolf’s Belly with illustrator Simón Estrada, a character animation designer, visual developer and art director who had previously collaborated with the writer. The graphic novel was published in 2026 by Macmillan imprint Roaring Brook Press.

While the material naturally lends itself to animation, August and Cuarón reportedly discussed whether the adaptation should be animated or live action before settling on the latter.

Cuarón will produce alongside Gabriela Rodriguez through Esperanto Filmoj, with Richard Schwartz serving as executive producer. Schwartz originally brought the project into the company through Esperanto’s existing relationship with August.

The adaptation also brings August back to Sony, where he has a long history as a screenwriter. His credits for the studio include Big Fish, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, as well as Charlie’s Angels and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.

August’s broader filmography includes several collaborations with Tim Burton, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows. He also worked on Disney’s live-action Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie, which went on to earn more than $1 billion worldwide.

Beyond film, August wrote the Arlo Finch middle-grade book trilogy and co-hosts the long-running screenwriting podcast Scriptnotes with Craig Mazin.

Cuarón brings his own history with fantasy filmmaking to the project. His directing credits include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Gravity, Roma and Y Tu Mamá También. His involvement on Wolf’s Belly is currently as a producer rather than director.

The project remains in development, with no director, cast or production schedule announced.

With August adapting his own material and Cuarón producing, Wolf’s Belly will now move forward at Sony as a live-action expansion of one of the most recognizable fairy tales ever told — this time exploring what happens after Little Red Riding Hood is swallowed whole.