# Walden Media

Walden Media, LLC is an American independent studio that develops, produces and finances feature films and television series for the U.S. and global markets. Its films focus on stories of courage drawn from biographies, historical events, and literature adaptations, as well as original screenplays. The company has also produced feature documentaries.
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."
Walden Media operates Walden Pond Press, a joint venture with HarperCollins, which publishes middle grade books.

## Company history

Walden Media was founded in 2000 by Micheal Flaherty and Cary Granat as a movie, television, publishing and Internet enterprise whose goal is to teach and entertain kids. Granat was president of Miramax's Dimension Films division, and Flaherty came from the world of education. The two were housemates at Tufts University before following different paths, and later reunited to form the company.
The company's notable releases include Holes in 2003, Because of Winn-Dixie in 2005, 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. All of these films are adaptations of popular books.
In late 2001, Anschutz Entertainment Group purchased a majority stake in the company, leaving the founders as minority shareholders.
On August 9, 2006, Walden Media announced they had entered into a joint-venture partnership with Fox Filmed Entertainment, which would release education-themed family-friendly pictures that would be released under G or PG ratings. All films would be released under the 20th Century Fox banner. The company, now named "Fox-Walden", announced the release of its first four films in May 2007. After all the respective films released under Fox-Walden flopped at the box office in North America, it was announced on October 2, 2008 that Fox-Walden would reduce its staff and cease operations as a standalone company, being folded into 20th Century Fox as a division. The downsizing of Fox-Walden did not affect the partnership between both Fox and Walden Media and they would still release family-friendly movies together under the Fox-Walden banner.
In March 2008, Michael Bostick, formerly of Imagine Films, was hired as creative officer. Cary Granat was released from his co-CEO title effective December 1, 2008, with Bostick replacing him. Walden Media created a joint publishing venture with HarperCollins during the same year called Walden Pond Press.
Frank Smith was named CEO in 2013 after working with the company for ten years. Prior to joining the Anschutz Film Group, Smith worked at New Line Cinema/Fine Line Features.
In April 2023, Benjamin Tappan, a former EPIX executive, was named President of Production for Walden, overseeing the company's film and television development and production.

## 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.
Walden Media offers in-class teaching tools like educational guides and teacher kits 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.

## Filmography

Key to the colors used below :
| | Type of film |
| A | Animated film |
| H | Live-action and animated film |
| L | Live-action film |
| D | Documentary film |

### Feature films

| | Title | Release date | Co-production(s) | Distributor(s) |
| D | Ghosts of the Abyss | April 11, 2003 | Earthship Productions Ascot Elite Entertainment Group Golden Village Telepool and UGC PH | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Summit Entertainment |
| L | Holes | April 18, 2003 | Walt Disney Pictures Phoenix Pictures Chicago Pacific Entertainment | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Summit Entertainment |
| L | Around the World in 80 Days | June 16, 2004 | Spanknyce Films Mostow/Lieberman Productions | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Summit Entertainment |
| L | I Am David | December 3, 2004 | Film and General | Lions Gate Films Summit Entertainment |
| D | Aliens of the Deep | January 28, 2005 | Walt Disney Pictures Earthship Productions | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
| L | Because of Winn-Dixie | February 18, 2005 | N/A | 20th Century Fox |
| L | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | December 9, 2005 | Walt Disney Pictures | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
| L | Hoot | May 5, 2006 | The Kennedy/Marshall Company | New Line Cinema |
| L | How to Eat Fried Worms | August 25, 2006 | Gran Via Productions | New Line Cinema |
| L | Charlotte's Web | December 15, 2006 | The K Entertainment Company Nickelodeon Movies | Paramount Pictures |
| L | Bridge to Terabithia | February 16, 2007 | Walt Disney Pictures | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Summit Entertainment |
| L | The Seeker: The Dark is Rising | October 5, 2007 | N/A | 20th Century Fox (Fox-Walden) |
| L | Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium | November 16, 2007 | Mandate Pictures | 20th Century Fox (Fox-Walden) Mandate Pictures |
| L | The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep | December 25, 2007 | Columbia Pictures Revolution Studios Strike Entertainment Ecosse Films Weta Workshop Beacon Pictures | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| L | Nim's Island | April 4, 2008 | N/A | 20th Century Fox (Fox-Walden) Universal Pictures Summit Entertainment |
| L | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | May 16, 2008 | Walt Disney Pictures | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| L | Journey to the Center of the Earth | July 11, 2008 | New Line Cinema | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| L | City of Ember | October 10, 2008 | Playtone | 20th Century Fox (Fox-Walden) Summit Entertainment |
| L | Bandslam | August 14, 2009 | N/A | Summit Entertainment |
| L | Tooth Fairy | January 22, 2010 | Mayhem Pictures Blumhouse Productions Dune Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| L | Ramona and Beezus | July 23, 2010 | Di Novi Pictures Dune Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| D | Waiting for "Superman" | September 24, 2010 | Participant Media | Paramount Vantage |
| L | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | December 10, 2010 | Dune Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| H | Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | February 10, 2012 | New Line Cinema Contrafilm | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| L | Tooth Fairy 2 | March 6, 2012 | N/A | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment |
| L | Won't Back Down | September 28, 2012 | Gran Via Productions | 20th Century Fox |
| L | Chasing Mavericks | October 26, 2012 | Deuce Three Productions | 20th Century Fox |
| L | Parental Guidance | December 25, 2012 | Chernin Entertainment Face Productions Dune Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| L | Return to Nim's Island | March 15, 2013 | ARC Entertainment | Hallmark Channel |
| L | Dear Dumb Diary | September 6, 2013 | ARC Entertainment Zucker Productions Triple D Productions | Hallmark Channel |
| L | The Giver | August 15, 2014 | N/A | The Weinstein Company |
| L | Everest | September 18, 2015 | Cross Creek Pictures Working Title Films | Universal Pictures |
| L | The BFG | July 1, 2016 | Walt Disney Pictures DreamWorks Pictures Amblin Entertainment Reliance Entertainment The Kennedy/Marshall Company The Roald Dahl Story Company | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Reliance Entertainment Mister Smith Entertainment |
| L | The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | January 20, 2017 | Blumhouse Tilt Vertical Church Films | WWE Studios BH Tilt |
| L | A Dog's Purpose | January 27, 2017 | Universal Pictures Amblin Entertainment Reliance Entertainment Pariah Entertainment Group | Universal Pictures Reliance Entertainment Mister Smith Entertainment |
| L | Wonder | November 17, 2017 | Participant Media Mandeville Films | Lionsgate |
| A | The Star | November 17, 2017 | Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation Affirm Films Franklin Entertainment The Jim Henson Company | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| L | A Dog's Journey | May 17, 2019 | Universal Pictures Amblin Entertainment Reliance Entertainment Alibaba Pictures Pariah Entertainment Group | Universal Pictures Reliance Entertainment Mister Smith Entertainment |
| H | Dora and the Lost City of Gold | August 9, 2019 | Paramount Players Nickelodeon Movies Media Rights Capital Burr! Productions | Paramount Pictures |
| L | Playing with Fire | November 8, 2019 | Paramount Players Nickelodeon Movies Broken Road Productions | Paramount Pictures |
| L | A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting | October 15, 2020 | The Montecito Picture Company | Netflix |
| L | Finch | November 5, 2021 | Amblin Entertainment Reliance Entertainment ImageMovers Misher Films | Apple TV+ |
| A | Rumble | December 15, 2021 | Paramount Animation WWE Studios Reel FX Animation Studios | Paramount+ |
| Upcoming ||||||
| L | Nuremberg | TBA | Bluestone Entertainment | TBA |

### Television series

| Title | Years | Network | Co-production(s) |
| The Baby-Sitters Club | 2020–2021 | Netflix | co-production with Terrible Baby Productions, Paulilu, and Michael De Luca Productions |
| Manhunt | 2024 | Apple TV+ | co-production with Apple Studios, Lionsgate Television, Dovetale Productions, POV Entertainment, Monarch Pictures and 3 Arts Entertainment |
| Upcoming |||||
| Holes | TBA | Disney+ | co-production with 20th Television and Goddard Textiles |

## Etymology and logo

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