Walden Media

Walden Media, LLC or Walden Media is an American film investor, distributor, and publishing company. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, as well as documentaries and some original screenplays.

Walden Media, LLC
Film Financing
Publishing Company
IndustryFilm
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderMicheal Flaherty
Cary Granat
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
Key people
Frank Smith
(President & CEO)
Naia Cucukov
(EVP, Development & Production)
OwnerAnschutz Entertainment Group
DivisionsWalden Pond Press
Websitewalden.com

The corporate headquarters of Walden Media are located in Los Angeles, California. The company is owned by the Christian conservative Philip Anschutz, who has said he expects their movies "to be entertaining, but also to be life affirming and to carry a moral message."[1]

Walden Media operates Walden Pond Press, a joint venture with Harper Collins, which publishes middle grade books.[2]


Company history

Walden Media was founded in 2000 by Micheal Flaherty and Cary Granat.[3] Granat was president of Miramax's Dimension Films division,[3][4] and Flaherty came from the world of education. The two were housemates at Tufts University before following different paths and then reuniting to form Walden Media as a movie, television, publishing and Internet enterprise.

In late 2001, Anschutz Entertainment Group purchased a majority stake in the company leaving the founders minority shareholders.[3]

The company's notable releases include Holes in 2003, Because of Winn-Dixie in 2005,[4] Charlotte's Web in 2006, Bridge to Terabithia, in 2007, three adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia in 2005, 2008 and 2010, Ramona and Beezus in 2010, and both A Dog's Purpose and Wonder in 2017.[5] All of these films are adaptations of popular children's books.

Walden agreed to a marketing partnership with Fox in 2006 under the Fox Walden name. Several movies flopped under the partnership, so in October 2008, Fox Walden shrunk its staffing.[3]

In March 2008, Michael Bostick, formerly from Imagine Films, was hired on as creative officer then added co-CEO title. Co-CEO Cary Granat was released from the job effective December 1, 2008. He was replaced by Bostick.[3] Also in 2008, Walden Media entered into a join publishing venture called Walden Pond Press with HarperCollins.[6]

Frank Smith was named CEO in 2013 after working with the company since 2003. Prior to his engagement with AFG, Smith worked at New Line Cinema/Fine Line Features [7]

Education program

Walden Media is unique among film production and distribution companies in that it works with teachers, museums, and national organizations to develop supplemental educational programs and materials associated with its films and the original events and/or novels that inspire the films.[8]

Walden Media offers in-class teaching tools like educational guides and teacher kits[9] and sponsors seminars and forums for teachers to discuss their practice and to share ideas on using media in the classroom. Directors, writers, and stars of the productions participate in these events.

In 2006, Walden Media sponsored the "Break the World Reading Record with Charlotte's Web". At noon on Wednesday, December 13, 547,826 readers in 2,451 locations, 50 states and 28 countries read an excerpt from Charlotte's Web, breaking the world record of 155,528 students from 737 schools in the United Kingdom who read William Wordsworth's poem, "Daffodils" in 2004.[10]

Filmography

2000s

2010s

Upcoming

The company is named after Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Its logo is a rock skipping across a pond.

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References
  1. Berkowitz, Bill. "The movie, the media, and the conservative politics of Philip Anschutz". Media Transparency, 2 December 2005.
  2. HarperCollins Children's Imprints
  3. Eller, Claudia (November 14, 2008). "Granat out at Walden Media". LA Times Blogs - Company Town. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  4. Jensen, Jeff. "The Family Business". Entertainment Weekly, 28 April 2006: 58–61.
  5. Between Hollywood and Godlywood: the Case of Walden Media by Nathalie Dupont, Peter Lang, 2015
  6. "Walden Media partners with HarperCollins". Los Angeles Times. 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  7. https://www.walden.com/about/
  8. "Our Company". Walden Media. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2007.
  9. Deahl, Rachel. "Walden Media Works to Make Moviegoers Readers". Publishers Weekly, 16 January 2006.
  10. Toomey, Shamus. "I've Never Broken a World Record". Chicago Sun-Times, 14 December 2006.
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