Netflix Orders "Green Eggs and Ham" Animated Series from Ellen DeGeneres

Netflix will be producing a 13-episode animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' beloved classic Green Eggs and Ham. According to Deadline, Ellen DeGeneres will serve as an executive producer and Jared Stern, who wrote the animated hit movies Wreck-It-Ralph and is expected to write The Lego Movie Sequel, will write the script.

The children's classic, first published in 1960 by Dr. Seuss (born Theodor Geisel) and written using a vocabulary of only 50 words, is one of the best selling children's books of all time. The Netflix production, which will take three years to complete, is rumored to cost in excess of $60 million, making it one of the most expensive animated series ever produced.

The Netflix team is clearly excited about the project, as they had a considerable amount of fun writing the press release:

Issued from Netflix headquarters.
Delivered straight to all reporters.

We’d love to share some happy news
based on the rhymes of Dr. Seuss.
Green Eggs and Ham will become a show
and you’re among the first to know.

In this richly animated production,
a 13-episode introduction,
standoffish inventor (Guy, by name)
and Sam-I-Am of worldwide fame,
embark on a cross-country trip
that tests the limits of their friendship.
As they learn to try new things,
they find out what adventure brings.
Of course they also get to eat
that famous green and tasty treat!

Cindy Holland, VP of Original Content for Netflix
threw her quote into the mix:
“We think this will be a hit
Green Eggs and Ham is a perfect fit
for our growing slate of amazing stories
available exclusively in all Netflix territories.
You can stream it on a phone.
You can stream it on your own.
You can stream it on TV.
You can stream it globally.”

The project is slated for a May 2018 release.