THE myths and legends surrounding Pendle Hill have been given a Hollywood makeover.

Seventh Son, starring Hollywood A-listers Jeff Bridges and 2015 Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, is due for a UK-wide cinema release on March 27.

The movie is based on The Spook’s Apprentice, the first book of the best selling children’s series The Wardstone Chronicles by author Joseph Delaney who was inspired to write the series after growing up around Pendle Hill and revelling in the tales of boggarts and witches.

Joesph’s books feature characters instantly recognisable to those living around the hill and in the Ribble Valley.

The evil witch is Mother Malkin and Tom the hero goes to live in the village Chipenden, based on Chipping.

“The character names will be familiar to fans of the book,” said Joseph.

“But there is little left of the original Lancashire roots – there is a Pendle City in the film though.

The 13 books in the series have sold three million copies worldwide in over 26 countries and have enthralled teenage readers with their intricate tales of a young boy, Tom, training to be a Spook – a fighter against supernatural forces.

“The thing you have to bear in mind is that the film is an adaptation of the book,” said the former English teacher turned best seller.

“It is certainly a very watchable movie but it is now a long way from the original book.

“There are still boggarts in the film but they are much bigger and more spectacular than I ever envisaged them.

“And there’s now a dragon in the movie which has upset quite a lot of the books’ young fans.

“But I was warned by other authors that when a film company signs the rights for your book you lose control of it and I accepted that early on.

“I have been contacted a few times when they have had a specific question about a character or about some background but I have not been directly involved in the film.”

The movie was primarily shot in Canada by director Sergey Bodrov and features an array of spectacular set pieces and special effects.

“I visited the set in Vancouver and met Jeff Bridges during filming,” said Joseph.

“I was introduced to the crew as the author of the book and they were all very nice to me.

“Jeff Bridges was also very pleasant but it was a bit strange as he kept in character as the Spook all the time, even using the Spook’s voice, so I felt I’d met the Spook rather than the actor himself.”

When the film rights were first taken up by Hollywood, cult director Tim Burton of Edward Scissorhands fame was lined up to make the movie and was reported to be visiting locations around the Ribble Valley.

“It would have been interesting to see how Tim Burton would have handled the film,” said Joseph.

“He was supposedly very keen in shooting much of it around Pendle Hill.”

Seventh Son, which reportedly cost around £95 million to produce, has already gone on general release around the world.

“It’s ironic that we will be the last people to see it in the cinema,” said Joseph. “It’s taken over £25 million in China and has been the top film in Russia.

“It’s been less successful in America so far but some of the critics were very harsh about the film.”

Fans who have devoured the books have also given the film mixed reviews.

“Some of them have been very angry about it,” said Joseph, “because it is not like the book.

“But others have just taken it for what it is, a very watchable film, “No movie can ever do a novel justice because the reader will always have formed pictures in their own mind of characters and situations.

“I go into schools a lot and I have shown pupils the trailer for the film and they have loved it.”

Joseph may have completed the Wardstone Chronicles but he still aims to write two books a year.

“I’m working on a new science fiction series for teenagers,” he said, “and the first one, Arena 13, should be published in June.

“I’ve also got a spin off series following Tom, the hero of the Wardstone Chronicles, who is now a fully-fledged Spook in his own right.

“The first book in that series, A New Darkness, has just been published.

“I don’t regret allowing Hollywood the rights to turn The Spook’s Apprentice into a movie at all – it will certainly give the whole series of books even greater publicity.

“But I have to say that I would have made the film differently and I also think that it would perhaps make a better TV series, along the lines of something like Merlin.

“The important thing for me is to encourage young readers, to get children interested in books.

“That’s why I still visit as many schools as I do each year while continuing to write.”

  • Seventh Son (cert 12A) is due for general release in the UK on Friday, March 27.