Veteran filmmaker Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Christopher Robin,” “Quantum of Solace”) has been tapped to direct the feature adaptation of the graphic novel “White Bird: A Wonder Story” for Mandeville Films and Lionsgate. The story of the graphic novel stems from the same universe as Lionsgate’s 2017 film “Wonder.” Yes, that Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, and Julia Roberts-led “Wonder,” which earned a sneaky Oscar nomination for Makeup and Hairstyling. We weren’t expecting a “Wonder” cinematic universe, but here we are.
READ MORE: ‘Wonder’ Is A Lightly Affecting Weeper For All Ages [Review]
“White Bird: A Wonder Story” tells the story of young bully Julian Albans, who is visited his Parisian Grandmère and is enlightened by her story of living and surviving in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Through her story of kindness and empathy, Julian begins to learn important lessons about how he treats others.
The graphic novel is written by R.J. Palacio, and it will be adapted for the silver screen by Mark Bomback. Bomback’s previous screenwriting credits include “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” and the AppleTV+ series “Defending Jacob.” “Wonder” producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will return to produce “White Bird” for Mandeville Films. James Myers and Aaron Edmonds are overseeing the production on behalf of Lionsgate.
In a statement to Deadline, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane explained why the story of “White Bird” is more important to tell now than ever before.
“’Wonder’ connected with audiences who responded to its message of kindness and empathy, of looking past the surface to the person underneath,” he said. “Now more than ever, we need stories that champion compassion for others, and R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel ‘White Bird’ builds on those themes. To direct the adaptation, Marc Forster brings not only mastery of his craft but a tender heart and gentle vision for a story of people finding connections between each other even in the most trying situations.”
Considering everything happening in the seemingly cursed timeline of 2020, we can’t argue with Kahane’s sentiment of the importance of compassionate storytelling. Barring restrictions due to COVID-19, development and production of “White Bird: A Wonder Story” should be underway shortly.