Ranger’s Apprentice (Paul Haggis)

[Canada]

LOS ANGELES — A former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Dick Cook, said on Tuesday that his long-planned solo entertainment company would adapt the best-selling “Ranger’s Apprentice” children’s book series as its first film after a deal with a Chinese company for at least $500 million in financing.

Mr. Cook said the movie, which starts production in the fall, will be directed by Paul Haggis, a five-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner, for writing and producing the drama “Crash.” The “Ranger’s Apprentice” screenplay will be written by Mr. Haggis and his daughter Alissa Sullivan Haggis.

The “Ranger’s Apprentice” series is a 12-book saga by John Flanagan. It follows an orphan who joins a battle to keep a fantastical kingdom safe from various threats. The series has sold about 8.5 million copies in 27 countries.

The money for Dick Cook Studios will primarily come from a partnership with a Chinese firm called Film Carnival, although Mr. Cook has secured other investors, including another Chinese group, Citic Guoan, which contributed $150 million. The investment marks a continued surge of Chinese money into Hollywood.

Mr. Cook had a celebrated run at Disney, helping to create the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises. But he was dismissed in 2009 amid a box office dry spell and a shift in Disney’s moviemaking focus.

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