Berenstain Bears Books to be Made Into Film

Posted on November 3, 2009

Walden Media has acquired the film rights to the popular Berenstain Bears books. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) has signed on to direct a film based on the children's book series.

Levy told USA Today, "To stand that kind of test of time is pretty formidable," says Levy, who will produce the film through his company, 21 Laps. "People read them as kids and can now read them to their kids. Any piece of culture that proves that enduring has something special in its DNA."

Levy also says, "I'd like the film to be un-ironic about its family connections but have a wry comedic sensibility that isn't oblivious to the fact that they're bears. The comedy comes from this bear family coexisting in a more recognizably real world."

The USA Today story says the film will combine live-action with animation. It will incorporate some of the original ideas and details from the Berenstain Bears books by Jan and Stan Berenstain. The earliest it will arrive in theaters in 2011.