INterview with Walden Media Prez Michael Flaherty

Michael Flaherty used to work for National Review. Now he's President of Waldon Media, the company that worked with Disney to make The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Katharine Lopez, edition of NR, intereviewed him recently. I enjoyed the entire interview, but I thought certain of The Progeny would be most interested in this part:

Flaherty: We are in London right now filming a movie called Amazing Grace, that tells the story of William Wilberforce, John Newton, Thomas Clarkson, Equiano, and all of the great people who abolished slavery 200 ago in Britain. We are going to release the movie in 2007 to coincide with the bicentenary of the abolition in the U.K. It is our hope that the film will remind people in this cynical age that great men and women can change the face of history, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

In addition to that, we have a number of literary adaptations that are nearing completion. The first is Hoot, the next is How to Eat Fried Worms, and next Christmas we are releasing a live-action version of Charlotte's Web. I am downright giddy about that one. Soon we will start filming Bridge to Teribithea, another personal favorite. All of our projects are on our website at www.walden.com.

Lopez: If you're going to do more Narnia movies, do you have to film them real fast while the child actors are still young?

Flaherty: Yup. I think Skandar — who plays Edmund — has grown almost a foot in the last year. So we are racing against the clock.

The story of Wilberforce and company sounds absolutely inspiring, and I am looking forward to that. I'm disappointed they're even considering How to Eat Fried Worms. What a stupid book. I wasn't really a big fan of Bridge to Teribithea, either, and I don't think we'll see that one. NEver heard of Hoot. Charlotte's Web sounds interesting. E.B. White always wanted his story retold for screen using real animals, not cartoon characters.