Walden Media is acquiring the film rights to the bestselling book series The Berenstain Bears. Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps, Corus Entertainment Inc.’s Nelvana and Walden Media will produce the family comedy which will be a live action film mixed with 3D animation characters.
Levy’s 21 Laps has produced Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Nelvana, known for its work in children’s animation (Babar, The Backyardigans, Max & Ruby), produced the animated The Berenstain Bears television series, airing on PBS.
Says producer Levy: “The Berenstain Bears is such a beloved book and television series, with a great blend of charm, wit and warmth. 21 Laps is thrilled to be collaborating with Walden and Nelvana in adapting and expanding it to the screen.”
This feature film will be a fitting tribute to the Berenstain family who decades ago created what has become a truly classic property, etched in the hearts and minds of children and their families the world over,” comments Doug Murphy, President, Nelvana and General Manager, Corus Kids “We are excited to be involved in this collaborative project which will see the delightful and entertaining tales of the Bears finally hit the big screen.”
Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, The Berenstain Bears are the bestselling character-based children’s books in history with over 260 million in sales. Since their creation in 1962 there have been 250 titles and the family has been featured in three television series since 1979.
“My mother, Jan, and I are more than delighted that three outstanding names in the field of family entertainment, Shawn Levy, Walden Media and Nelvana, have come together to create a Berenstain Bears feature film,” says Mike Berenstain. “We are thrilled that their plans for an innovative and ambitious production will bring our family’s work to a new medium and to new audiences. I know that my father, Stan, who passed away in 2005, would have been tickled pink that his very own bears were going to be ’in the movies!’”
“The Berenstain Bears series has the heart, humor, and values that fit into the Walden library of family films. We look forward to bringing these treasured characters to life in a new way with 21 Laps and Nelvana,” says Walden Media CEO Michael Bostick.
Source Nelvana
Leave a Reply