Fairy-Tale Beginnings: How ‘The Sisters Grimm’ Wrote a New Animated Chapter for Apple TV+

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“They are in this magical fantasy surrounding where Prince Charming lives down the street and Snow White’s around the corner, but the kids deal with real, complicated issues of trauma and trust.”

— Author and executive producer Michael Buckley

First published 20 years ago, the fantasy series The Sisters Grimm by writer Michael Buckley and illustrator Peter Ferguson captured the hearts of readers with its clever two main characters and fun supporting players inspired by the Grimm fairy tales. This month, a lovingly crafted 2D-animated adaptation of the books arrives on Apple TV+, introducing a new generation of fans and their parents to the entertaining world of sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm!

Exec produced by author Buckley and animation veteran Amy Higgins, the show follows the adventures of the siblings as they are sent to live with their grandmother, Relda Grimm, in the mysterious town of Ferryport Landing. After discovering that they’re descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm, they slowly realize the town is populated with mysterious magical beings and their evil counterparts. The voice cast includes Ariel Winter as Sabrina, Laraine Newman as Relda, Abubakar Salim as Charming and Billy Harris as Puck.

Putting Pen to Paper

In a recent interview with Animation Magazine, Buckley said the original idea for the books popped into his head fully formed. “I actually didn’t really need to do too much work on it,” says the Brooklyn-based author, who also co-created the 2010 Cartoon Network show Robotomy. “I actually wrote it out as a TV pitch originally and took it out to all the places that I had good relationships with. Everyone said they loved it and found it charming, sweet and funny, but they all kept saying that it should be a book, not a TV series. That drove me crazy, because I have ADHD and the idea of writing a book seemed like an impossible task. But I had some friends who were very encouraging, so I started writing it. We sent it out, and a couple of weeks later, I had a book deal, and all of a sudden, I was a children’s book author! So, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years!”

Through the years, Buckley had several offers from various places to adapt the books into a show, but he felt that nobody really understood their heart and soul. “There were people who suggested all kinds of strange changes,” he recalls. “Someone wanted me to add vampires in it because Twilight was big at the time. Then, there was a producer who suggested that we make the leads boys! Luckily, when I finally found the right producers, they introduced me to Amy [Higgins]; she just gets it. She understood what it was all about and what I was trying to do with it. It’s a blessing to find someone who understands your brain.”

Higgins, whose impressive list of credits includes fan favorites such as Kid Cosmic, Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Wander Over Yonder, says she also felt that she and Buckley were on the exact same wavelength from the start. “I loved the books when I listened to the audiobooks with my son, who was eight at the time, the same age as the books’ Sabrina,” she says. “I just thought the books would be perfect as an animated show that most parents would want to watch with their kids. Also, the main character in the book, Sabrina, is a very complicated girl and not likable at first glance. Puck is very complicated too, and you don’t see characters like that in children’s animation. They’re always balancing the line of trying to do the right thing and being taken off target by their emotions. I wanted to include all of that in the show, and Michael trusted me with his books, and I was very cautious about that. We needed to cut the story down to six episodes and trim it down without losing anything. That was the hardest thing to do!”

According to Higgins, it took about a year to make each episode of the show. The eye-catching 2D animation was tackled by L.A. toon powerhouse Titmouse, which used Toon Boom’s always-reliable tools, according to the executive producers. Higgins and story editor Todd Casey wrote most of the scripts for the six episodes. “It was really important that the voice of each character was consistent throughout,” notes Higgins.

“The visuals have a storybook quality about them. You get this dappled light of upstate New York in the fall with all these colors and layers of magic.”

— Executive producer Amy Higgins

Buckley says he loves how real the characters seem to him. “They are in this magical fantasy surrounding where Prince Charming lives down the street and Snow White’s around the corner, but the kids, especially Sabrina, are dealing with real, complicated issues of trauma and trust,” he says. “They deal with these problems the way a real kid would, and I think that’s what is going to make this show different.”

Higgins brings up the fact that the show’s visuals have a special storybook quality to them as well. “You get this dappled light of upstate New York in the fall, with all these colors and layers of magic throughout this season,” she points out. “On the other hand, I also wanted our Prince Charming to be a regular guy, who is expressing these very human emotions. We also worked with such a fantastic team, and I think [it] resulted in a really elevated piece of entertainment that you don’t see every day.”

The show’s creators also wanted to emphasize a post-COVID uplifting message throughout the show. “One of the main themes of the first season is that you can help make your own story,” explains Higgins. “We were coming out of the COVID years, and there were so many families who had gone through these very difficult times, and we really wanted to emphasize that no matter what hardships you go through, you can still create your own narrative.”

Buckley says although he has written other books, he feels that The Sisters Grimm series is probably the greatest thing he’ll ever create. “This is the first thing I ever wrote, and it means so much to me,” he notes. “So, handing it over and letting people take care of your kid could be nerve-wracking at times. I would say that the hardest part for me was learning to trust that the people that had come to this project were all there for all the right reasons, and I needed to let them do their jobs. It’s just like when the kids get old enough, you have to let them move on!”

Tattoos, Tips and Triumphs

The bestselling writer says it is always wild when he meets people who grew up reading the books. “When I meet them, they are older, and maybe they’re sharing the books with their kids now,” he says. “You feel like time is rolling along, and we’re all getting older. I’m always trying to pull people back down to reality! The other day, a woman sent me a photo of a tattoo of one of our characters, Puck, that she had got on her rib cage, which seemed to be in a very painful place. She said that Puck had been very important to her when she was a little girl, and that she had grown up trying to become more like him. As an author, when somebody gets a tattoo of one of your characters, that’s always a big deal for me!”

Since Higgins has worked on some terrific animated shows over the past decade, we asked her to offer some advice to those who want to break into the business. She says, “Things are different now than they were when I started, but what still holds true is that you have to study the shows that you like. Learn all about the turning points, the beats, the layers and the subtexts. Then, you also have to hustle. I think there are a lot of people in this industry who have lots of talent, and there are many who have lots of hustle. Once in a while you get those who have both. But the ones who are tenacious will at least get someone to read their scripts.”

Buckley, whose 16-year-old son, Finn, is also a published author, says he always tell his son he must always be ready. “Don’t sit around waiting for the door to open,” he advises. “When the door opens, you better have everything you could ever need to walk through it. You need to write for yourself and create your own art. Don’t wait around for somebody’s permission, because you know when the door opens, you want to be as ready as possible.”

Higgins adds, “As Steve Martin once said, ‘Be so good that they cannot ignore you!’”

The Sisters Grimm premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 3.