WALDEN MEDIA

'Walden Media' is a film production and publishing company best known as the producers of ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' film series. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, documentaries and some original screenplays.
The corporate headquarters of Walden Media are located in Los Angeles, California, and the Education, Outreach, Interactive and Publishing office is in Boston, Massachusetts.

Contents

Company history

Education program

Criticism

Etymology and logo

Filmography

Published Books

References

External links

Company history

Walden Media was created in 2001 by Michael Flaherty and Cary Granat. Granat was president of Miramax's Dimension Films division, and Flaherty came from the world of education. Flaherty was called an “entrepreneur in education” by the ''Boston Globe'' for his work with innovative programs meant to help underprivileged students gain access to quality education.^[1]. The two were housemates at Tufts University before following different paths and then reuniting to form Walden Media^[2] as a movie, television, publishing and Internet enterprise whose goal is to teach and entertain kids. The company is owned by the Christian conservative Philip Anschutz, who has said he expects their movies "to be entertaining, but also to be life affirming and to carry a moral message."^[3]
The company came to prominence with the release of film adaptations of Louis Sachar's ''Holes'' in 2003, Kate Dicamillo's ''Because of Winn Dixie'' for Twentieth Century Fox in 2004, C. S. Lewis's '' in 2005, Thomas Rockwell's "How to Eat Fried Worms" in 2006 and E. B. White's ''Charlotte's Web'' starring Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts in 2006 and Katherine Paterson's ''Bridge to Terabithia'', released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media on February 16, 2007.
Currently in development are movies based on Lewis's '', Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember, and Susan Cooper's ''The Dark Is Rising'' series.
On August 8, 2006, Walden Media announced a joint venture with 20th Century Fox.^[4] ''Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium'' and ''The Dark Is Rising'' will be the first films released under the venture. Previously announced films at other studios will remain in place.^[5]

Education program

Walden Media is unique among film production companies in that it works with teachers, museums, and national organizations to develop supplemental educational programs and materials associated with its films and the original events and/or novels that inspire the films.^[6]
Walden Media offers in-class teaching tools like educational guides and teacher kits^[7] and sponsors seminars and forums for teachers to discuss their craft and to trade ideas on using media in the classroom. Directors, writers, and stars of the productions participate in these events.
In 2006, Walden Media sponsored the "Break the World Reading Record with Charlotte’s Web". At noon on Wednesday, December 13th, 547,826 readers in 2,451 locations, 50 states and 28 countries read an excerpt from Charlotte’s Web, breaking the world record of 155,528 students from 737 schools in the United Kingdom who read William Wordsworth’s poem, "Daffodils" in 2004.^[8]

Criticism

In July and August of 2007, Walden Media came under fire from fans of the Dark is Rising book series for liberties the company is purported to have taken with the plot in its forthcoming movie of the same title ^[9]. As one critic noted:

"During filming in Bucharest, Romania there was a joke on The Dark is Rising set that only three things have been changed from the original 1973 novel: the nationality of lead character Will Stanton, changed from English to American; his age changed from 11 to 13; and everything else that happens in the story. A solo quest by an 11-year-old is no longer solo; family values have been deemed out of date — the happy, loving Stanton family rewritten dysfunctional; a series of five books bereft of a single love interest has been re-imagined with the lead character chasing the fairer sex, pleading in the trailer “I can't save the world! I don't even know how to talk to a girl!” Angered, disgusted fans are reporting little interest in their hero’s new, most ordinary of plights."
^[10]

There is considerable speculation that the changes are due in part to the evangelical Christian beliefs of director David Cunningham, and of the 'Christian mission' sometimes attributed to Walden Media itself.

Etymology and logo

The company is named after Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Its logo is a rock skipping across a pond.

Filmography

★ ''Kidsstuff 4'' (1988) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Kidsstuff'' (2000) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ '' (2002) with Giant Screen Films

★ ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' (2003) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Holes'' (2003) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''I Am David'' (2003) with Lions Gate Films

★ ''Around the World in 80 Days'' (2004) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Because of Winn-Dixie'' (2005) with Twentieth Century Fox

★ ''Aliens of the Deep'' (2005) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ '' (2005) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Hoot'' (2006) with New Line Cinema

★ ''How to Eat Fried Worms'' (2006) with New Line Cinema

★ ''Charlotte's Web'' (2006) with Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies

★ ''Bridge to Terabithia'' (2007) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Barney 2 His Second Adventure'' (2008) with Walt Disney Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment.

★ ''The Waterhorse'' (2007) with Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios, Beacon Pictures, and Ecosse Films

★ ''Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium'' (2007) with Mandate Pictures

★ '' (2007)

★ '' (2008) with Walt Disney Pictures

★ ''Journey 3-D'' (2008) with New Line Cinema

★ ''Nim's Island''

★ ''Carlisle School''

★ ''The Giver''

★ ''Manhunt''

★ ''Tortoise and Hippo''

★ ''The City of Ember'' (2008)

★ ''I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You'' (TBA)

Published Books

★ ''Paddywhack Lane''

★ ''The White Giraffe''

★ ''The Gravity Keeper''

★ ''Comeback Kid Book Series''

★ ''

References

1. "Who we are". Walden Media corporate site
2. Jensen, Jeff. "The Family Business". ''Entertainment Weekly'', 28 April 2006: 58-61.
3. Berkowitz, Bill. "The movie, the media, and the conservative politics of Philip Anschutz." Media Transparency, 2 December 2005.
4. Schein, Amy. Walden Media, LLC. Hoover's.
5. "Fox Filmed Entertainment and Walden Media Enter into Joint Venture to Market and Release Films for the Family Audience". Walden Media press release.
6. "Our Company". Walden Media corporate site
7. Deahl, Rachel. "Walden Media Works to Make Moviegoers Readers". ''Publisher’s Weekly'', 16 January 2006.
8. Toomey, Shamus. "I’ve Never Broken a World Record". ''Chicago Sun-Times'', 14 December 2006.
9. "The Dark Is Rising liks". ''Authorblog'', 7 August 2007.
10. Gillispe, John. "The Dark is Sinking: Book-to-Film Adaptation of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Angers Fans". ''Blogcritics Magazine'', 26 July 2007.

External links

★ Official website

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