Walden's All Dolled up
Bigscreen gets the 'Girl'July 25, 2006
By DAVE MCNARY, MICHAEL FLEMING
Variety
The "American Girl" doll characters are headed for the bigscreen via a producing partnership of Walden Media, Goldsmith-Thomas Prods. and Julia Roberts' Red Om Films.
First film from the team will be based on Kit Kittredge, the American Girl character who endures hardships growing up during the Great Depression.
Walden's financing the live-action feature, which will be produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Marisa Yeres and Stephanie Langhoff through Goldsmith-Thomas Prods. in association with Roberts and Red Om's Lisa Gillan. No distribution deal has been set.
The film partnership reunites the team that produced telepics for American Girl, including "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday" in 2004, "Felicity: An American Girl Adventure" last year and "Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front," which will air on Disney Channel this fall.
Goldsmith-Thomas began pursuing rights with Roberts and Gillan to the American Girl franchise six years ago. "We knew that the American Girls characters and their compelling stories would translate beautifully to film," she said.
Walden, part of the Anschutz Film Group, produced Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It's also producing the sequel, "Prince Caspian," along with the upcoming "Charlotte's Web," "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D," "Bridge to Terabithia" and "The Water Horse."
American Girl, launched in 1986, is a division of toy giant Mattel.
