6 Unique Facts about Ransom Riggs’ ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children hits theaters on September 30, and we can’t wait to watch the film. Creepy, cool and filled with adventure, the movie is directed by Tim Burton (yay!) and stars Eva Green as Miss Peregrine. I mean, just look at how awesome the trailer is:

The movie is based on a bestselling young adult book series written by Ransom Riggs, and it’s about a young boy named Jacob who discovers a secret world of special children. The books combine eerie photographs and creepy Victorian imagery to create a world that feels like it’s forever stuck in the past. Which is why we can’t think of a better director than Burton to take on this tale of the peculiar.

For more info about the film and the books, here are six Miss Peregrine facts that you definitely need to know before the movie is released on Friday:

1. There are Four Books – and Counting! – in the Bestselling Series

Besides Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, there are three more books in Riggs’ popular series. These include Hollow City, which came out in January 2014  and Library of Souls, which was out in September 2015. Both books continue the story of Jacob and his friends as they fight for the fate of ‘peculiar’ children everywhere. Riggs recently published another book, Tales of the Peculiar, which is a companion to his adventurous series. Like J.K. Rowling’s Tales of Beedle the Bard, Tales of the Peculiar is a book written within the world of Miss Peregrine’s, diving into the old fables and stories that are mentioned in Riggs’ novels.

2. “Peculiarities” are Actually Special Powers

Part of the fun of Miss Peregrine’s are the ‘peculiarities’ that Jacob and his friends all have. Each peculiar child is gifted with a special power (or a peculiarity) that makes them special and alienates them from the outside world. One girl has a mouth on the back of her head. Another stores bees in his stomach, releasing them at will. Jacob, our hero, can see hollowgasts — the creatures who threaten to destroy their world.

 

3. The Books Use Real-life Vintage Photographs

The best parts of the novels are the eerie photographs nestled within their pages. Even better? Each of the photos are 100 percent real and collected by the author (see more on that below!). From children dressed as clowns in all white makeup to black-haired twins with their backs to the camera, each photo inspires a character or a chapter — and each one is creepier than the last.

 

4. Samuel L. Jackson’s Character Doesn’t Exist in the Book

 

In the film version, Jackson plays Mr. Barren, the leader of the Wights (evolved hollowgasts) who wants to destroy all of the Peculiars. But his character doesn’t exist in the books at all! There are a few other changes from the movies to books as well: in the books, Emma is Jacob’s love interest, and her peculiarity is fire. Olive, another of the Peculiar Children, has a peculiarity of air, and she’s so light that she has to be weighted down so that she doesn’t float away. Their powers are swapped in the movie.

5. Miss Peregrine’s School is also a Graphic Novel

In October 2013, artist Cassandra Jean and author Riggs published the first book in the series as a graphic novel. The story stays the same, this time told through original, detailed artwork by Jean. Here’s hoping they’ll decide to turn the rest of the series into graphic novels as well.

 

 

6. Author Riggs is a Photographer and a Filmmaker

Riggs actually went to film school, and he has a love of photography and short films. He also collects vintage photographs, which is what inspired Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children in the first place.