Cinematic universes are all the rage, and we've seen the rise of some great ones over the years, but I very much doubt that anyone thought that WONDER would be the start of another one. It's the Wonder Cinematic Universe, folks!
It was announced today that Marc Forster (QUANTUM OF SOLACE) has signed on to direct WHITE BIRD: A WONDER STORY for Lionsgate based on the graphic novel by R.J. Palacio. The project is slated to be written by Mark Bomback (WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES). The story is told by the grandmother of Julian Alban, a character from WONDER, as she tells her grandson the story of how she was hidden away by a boy and his family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II. The story shows the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and save lives as the boy she and her classmates once shunned becomes her savior and best friend. In a statement, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane said:
'Wonder' connected with audiences who responded to its message of kindness and empathy, of looking past the surface to the person underneath. 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.
R.J. Palacio's "Wonder" was adapted into a feature film by Stephen Chbosky in 2017 and starred Jacob Tremblay as Auggie Pullman, a young boy with Treacher Collins syndrome who is just trying to fit in. The film, which also starred Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts, went on to gross $305 million on a $20 million budget, so it's only natural that Lionsgate would want to stay in the Palacio business. It will be interesting to see just how many connections, if any, WHITE BIRD will make to WONDER when all is said and done.