With the success of fantasy films such as Lord
of the Rings and the growing hype around The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,
distribution companies have been running in circles trying to gobble up
any piece of quality fantasy fiction left. In the lead is Walden Media,
who is currently behind the production of Narnia and has recently
picked up Bridge to Terabithia.
Bridge to Terabithia
According to Variety,
Walt Disney Pictures has teamed up with Philip Walden Media to produce Bridge
to Terabithia, based on Katherine Paterson's Newberry Medal-winning
children's novel.
Walden acquired rights to the 1977 book more than three years ago and brought the project to Fox when it signed a slate deal in summer 2004. Walden approached Disney after reaching a mutual agreement with Fox that the project should not go forward there.
Disney and Walden are working to get Bridge of Terabithia quickly
into production. Where do the two companies want the production to occur?
Nowhere else but the little section of land that got more coverage in the
three years of Lord of the Rings than since its creation-- New
Zealand. Disney and Walden hope to get filming going by 2006 and are aiming
for a spring 2007 release.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe, also the result of a Walden-Disney partnership. The
Bridge of Terabithia story is in part homage to C.S. Lewis' Narnia
books, Granat said. Bridge of Terabithia tells the story of an
11-year-old boy who befriends the class outsider, a tomboy. They find a
sanctuary and create the imaginary world of Terabithia, a land with giants,
trolls and other magical beings.
Lauren Levine (I Am David) is producing along with the author's
son, David Paterson, who was the inspiration for the book's protag.
For the entire report on the Bridge of Terabithia, go to Variety.
Walden's latest project is located in Narnia
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