105 Ways to Give a Book

Librarians and Hollywood

In reading a Washington Post article about a film company, Walden Media, that has found its calling in producing movies for kids, I found this quote:
But the bottom line is that moviemakers still have to tell good stories to keep people in their seats. How do Granat and Flaherty find success in getting families into theaters? They credit a secret weapon: librarians.

“It’s such an obvious place to look, but Hollywood never looks there,” Flaherty says.

Walden has staff members in Boston who make contact with hundreds of thousands of teachers, students, and librarians each year to find out what kids are reading. (The movie “Holes,” for example, grew out of a Pennsylvania teacher’s comment that her pupils loved the book.) “We go to 24 conferences a year... heavily focused on librarians, because who knows stories better than librarians,” says Flaherty.
Yeah, team! Since they’re listening to us, apparently, what book should they make into a movie next? My money is still on The Wizard, The Witch, and Two Girls From Jersey, starring Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, because it reads like a movie now. It would be so easy to adapt it and then throw in two hot teen stars. And I only want to be invited to the premiere for the idea.

4 comments:

Reel Fanatic said...

Walden has made a flick of Bridge to Terabithia, which I remember as my favorite book from my childhood, and it's coming soon ... I just hope they didn't screw it up!

Anonymous said...

I think Kiki Strike would make an excellent movie.

Little Willow said...

Have you told Lisa Papa re: Wizard casting yet? :) You should!

Anonymous said...

I think that kids movies are definitely more challenging then one may think, having to please both the kids as well as their parents.
Matt