Fox Filmed Entertainment and Walden Media have announced a joint venture with the mandate of marketing/releasing family films.Walden Media, of "Chronicles of Narnia" fame, will bring its future motion picture development slate to the enterprise, with Fox also contributing current and newly developed projects.
Upcoming films under the new banner include:
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a Toronto-filmed, Mandate Pictures co-production, written/directed by Zach Helm, following a 243-year-old eccentric, played by actor Dustin "Little Big Man" Hoffman, who owns the strangest toy store in the world.
The film also stars Natalie "Star Wars" Portman and Jason Bateman and is produced by Richard Gladstein and Jim Garavente.
Other joint film projects include:
"The Dark is Rising", the first film adaptation of author Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising Sequence", about a boy who learns he is the last of the 'Old Ones', a group of immortal warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting forces of the 'Dark'.
Producer is Marc Platt and written by John Hodge.
"City of Ember", based on author Jeanne DuPrau's novel, is about two adolescents who unravel a mystery. The film will be directed by Gil "Monster House" Kenan and produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone Productions.
As part of the overall Fox/Walden deal, Fox will have first look rights at future projects from Bristol Bay Productions, Walden Media's sister company under Anschutz Film Group.
