White Bird (film)

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White Bird
White Bird - A Wonder Story film poster.png
Theatrical release poster with original release date
Directed by Marc Forster
Screenplay by Mark Bomback
Based on White Bird: A Wonder Story
by R. J. Palacio
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthias Koenigswieser
Edited by Matt Chessé
Music by Thomas Newman
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • January 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)(Italy, Croatia)
  • October 4, 2024 (2024-10-04)(United States)
Running time
120 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$496,636 [2]

White Bird (marketed with the subtitle A Wonder Story) is a 2024 American coming-of-age period drama film directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Mark Bomback, based on the 2019 graphic novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio. A prequel to Wonder (2017), the film stars Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson, and Helen Mirren, with Gheisar reprising his role as Julian from Wonder.

Contents

The film is scheduled to be released in theaters by Lionsgate on October 4, 2024.

Premise

After the events of Wonder , Julian has left Beecher Prep for good. He is visited by his grandmother from Paris, who tells him stories of her childhood as a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, while being hidden from the Nazis by a classmate and his parents. [3] [4]

Cast

Production

Development

In October 2019, Lionsgate acquired the rights to R.J. Palacio's White Bird: A Wonder Story . Palacio said "[t]he team at Lionsgate values artists and storytellers and has been crucial to expanding the fan community surrounding Wonder. They have been enormously supportive as I have been writing White Bird and I could not feel more secure that my new graphic novel is in the right creative hands at the right studio." [5] The film is produced by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman from Mandeville Films. Jeffrey Skoll and Robert Kissel from Participant executive produce. Marc Forster was announced as director with Mark Bomback writing and executive producing. [6] [7]

Casting

In February 2021, Bryce Gheisar was confirmed to reprise his role as Julian from the 2017 film Wonder , while Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson, Orlando Schwerdt and Ariella Glaser joined the cast. [8]

Filming

Principal photography commenced in February 2021 in the Czech Republic. [4]

Locations gallery

Release

White Bird: A Wonder Story was initially scheduled to be released on September 16, 2022, [9] but was later delayed to October 14, 2022. [10] In September 2022, Lionsgate removed the film from its release schedule. [11] The film, presented as a "sneak preview", premiered at the 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival on July 30, 2023, with a taped introduction by producer Lieberman. [1]

In January 2023, it was announced White Bird was scheduled to debut in a limited release on August 18, 2023, followed by a wide release on August 25, 2023. [12] However, in July 2023, as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Lionsgate pushed the release to an unspecified date in the fourth quarter of 2023. [13] In December 2023, Lionsgate redated the film for October 4, 2024. [14] It was released in Italy and Croatia on January 4, 2024. [15]

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References

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  6. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 29, 2020). "Marc Forster Directing Lionsgate & Mandeville's 'Wonder' Universe Title 'White Bird'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 15, 2021). "Participant To Executive Produce & Co-Finance Lionsgate Mandeville's 'White Bird: A Wonder Story'". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  8. N'Duka, Amanda (February 25, 2021). "Helen Mirren Joins Gillian Anderson In Lionsgate's 'White Bird: A Wonder Story'". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  9. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 28, 2021). "Lionsgate Dates Samuel L. Jackson's The Protege, Jennifer Lopez's Shotgun Wedding & White Bird: A Wonder Story". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
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