The Lonely Dog is a fairytale for grownups.

Not just the story itself, but the story behind the story is magical.

Alveridgea and the Legend of the Lonely Dog started life as sketches and paintings by New Zealand landscape artist Ivan Clarke to accompany the stories he told his kids about the family’s pet dachshund.

As the Lonely Dog concept grew Mr Clarke added partners Graham Burt and Garry Phipps, both publicists from St Heliers, to the pot and with author Stu Duval’s help, they crafted a fully realised fantasy world.

It was launched as a book which catapulted into the imaginations of people in just the right place and time.

The founder of five-time Oscar winner Weta Workshop Richard Taylor created a range of bronze sculptures to complement Mr Clarke’s works, followed closely by the collector’s books, the Almalogue.

Only 95 numbered and signed copies of this hand-crafted book have been made, with 70 released for sale. All have sold, the last sales reaching an incredible $60,000 a piece.

Now Warner Bros has acquired the screen rights to Ivan Clarke’s dog’s tale and in the coming months Hollywood legend Akiva Goldsman will breathe life to this up and coming legend.

Mr Goldsman will produce the movie through his Warner Brothers-based Weed Road banner.

It is being touted as "the next big thing" to come from New Zealand roots and is already being compared to fantasy greats like Lord of the Rings.

Mr Goldsman will produce the movie through his Warner Brothers-based Weed Road banner.

Mr Goldsman was producer on a hit-list of successes like Mr & Mrs Smith, Hancock, I am Legend, and Constantine as well as writer on many of the same films including A Beautiful Mind, I Robot and The Da Vinci Code.

Another giant in the industry, Kathy Kennedy, is a Lonely Dog enthusiast.

Ms Kennedy has a list of successes as producer, including Schindler’s List, ET, The Sixth Sense, Signs, War of the Worlds and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button to name but a few.

"There simply is no bigger meeting you can have.

"Her opening words were ‘Don’t waste time trying to sell me this idea. I’m sold already. Let’s talk about how to make it.’ And so we did," Mr Burt says.

Mr Burt and Mr Phipps are ecstatic.

"It’s actually beyond words," says Mr Burt, Lonely Dog chief executive.

"Here we are, two nobodies from New Zealand, sitting across from Kathy Kennedy who is so enamoured with the creation of this world we’re presenting that she’s cancelling appointments to have more time with us.

"In an industry where appointments are hard-won and limited, we’re in there for over an hour."

Mr Phipps says they’ve been told one reason they have met with such success is because of how deeply the characters have been developed and how richly textured Alveridgea – a town not in the least bit average – is.

"So much of this is due to Richard Taylor at Weta. He’s been developing and pushing it along since he stumbled across the initial pencil sketches and story that Ivan was telling his kids," Mr Phipps says.

The music for the film hasn’t been finalised but Mr Burt says they have signed a worldwide publishing deal with Atlantic Books in London.

Alveridgea is a world they love "living and playing in" and they are thrilled that others are equally enthused by it.

"It’s great it is now going to the world," Mr Clarke says.

Take a peek at the magic at www.lonelydog.com.

- © Fairfax NZ News