Leslie Grantham to make posthumous fortune through children's book film adaptation

The late Leslie Grantham is set to make a posthumous fortune through the kids book he wrote being adapted into a feature film.

Grantham died last week at the age of 71 but prior to his death and since his iconic ‘Dirty’ Den role in EastEnders he’d become a children’s author.

Jack Bates and the Wizard’s Spell was released in the summer of 2016 and was reportedly working on a big-screen adaptation deal before he passed away.

The late actor’s publisher, Mike Fox of Mambi Books, describes the deal as in the ‘when and not if’ stages, after he revealed the news to the Sun.

‘The script has been written, some big names are attached and we are in talks with a production company who love it,’ Fox said.

So, with the very real prospect of a big money movie deal on the cards – yes, it does appear strikingly similar to a certain other wizarding book series from another British author – it appears his family are set to cash in on a lump sum believed to be worth up to several million pounds.

Grantham returned to the UK last week after moving to Bulgaria when he split with his wife of 31 years, Jane. Recent photos showed the actor looking frail and ill, as his family and close friends were made aware of his deterioration health.

Just days later he died after a battle with lung cancer.

He shot to fame playing ‘Dirty’ Dennis Watts in EastEnders, originally from 1985 to 1989, returning briefly to the soap in 2003 for the character’s shock comeback and demise at the hands of his new wife, Chrissie.

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