Beloved Gets Daring

LOS ANGELES - Beloved Pictures has secured the film rights to The Daring Book for Girls, by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz.  Published in 2007, the encyclopedia of stories, facts, and projects for adventure-seeking girls spent fourteen weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List and was the number seven bestselling book of 2007.  The book has sold over 1.4 million copies, and has enjoyed successful follow-on products, Things To Do and Wisdom and Wonders, and a sequel, The Double-Daring Book for Girls. 

Beloved first took an interest in the project while chatting with rising screenwriters Amy Garcia and Cecilia Contreras (2007 Nichol Fellows, currently scripting a project for veteran producer Fred Roos).   “Over lunch a few months ago, Amy and Cecilia revealed an ingenious and original way to adapt Daring for the screen,” said Beloved CEO Michael Ludlum.  “Caleb [Applegate, President] and I were enchanted, and as is usual with Amy’s and Cecilia’s ideas, we saw the prospects for a phenomenal film.” 

Discussions with Buchanan’s and Peskowitz’s representatives led to a formal pitch to the Daring authors.  Buchanan and Peskowitz warmed to the idea, and gave their blessing to further develop the screenplay. 

“We are thrilled that Andi and Miriam found the vision as epic and charming as we did, and look forward to shaping the project into a classic film that all can enjoy,” Ludlum said.  Beloved will co-develop the screenplay with Disney-based Panay Films, Beloved’s co-producer on the N.D. Wilson fantasy trilogy, 100 Cupboards. 

In addition to the 100 Cupboards franchise, Beloved Pictures is currently developing C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce with Steve McEveety’s Mpower Pictures, Messiah, a thriller in the vein of Taken and Die Hard, and an original TV series entitled The Spiritual with U.K. based Antix Productions. 

Garcia and Contreras are represented by Marti Blumenthal at Ampersand Management Group.  Andrea J. Buchanan is represented by Laura Gross at LGLA.  Miriam Peskowitz is represented by Kim Schefler at Levine, Plotkin, and Menin.  

Panay stocks 'Cupboards'

Producer, Beloved take on film adaptation

By DAVE MCNARY

Variety

Disney-based Andrew Panay ("Wedding Crashers") has come on to co-produce the feature version of N.D. Wilson's fantasy trilogy "100 Cupboards" along with Beloved Pictures.

Series centers on a 12-year-old, who discovers that the old farmhouse he calls home harbors mysterious cupboards leading to worlds and dangers beyond his imagination. The trio of titles -- "100 Cupboards," "Dandelion Fire" and "The Chestnut King" -- were released by Random House, with the first tome published in 2007.

Development exec Adam Blum brought the project to Panay Films, which recently sold an untitled Bradley Cooper-Allan Loeb pitch to Disney. Panay has also set up "What's He Got?" at Disney and "T.M.I." at Universal.

Beloved Pictures is co-producing C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce" with Steve McEveety's MPower Pictures. N.D. Wilson is adapting "Divorce."

Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Beloved opens 'Cupboards'

Shingle acquires feature rights to Wilson trilogy

By DAVE MCNARY

Variety

Three-year-old Beloved Pictures is developing "100 Cupboards," having acquired feature rights to the N.D. Wilson young-adult fantasy trilogy.

Series centers on a 12-year-old, who discovers that the old farmhouse he calls home harbors mysterious cupboards leading to worlds and dangers beyond his imagination.

The trio of titles -- "100 Cupboards," "Dandelion Fire" and "The Chestnut King" -- were released by Random House, with the first tome published in 2007.

Beloved Pictures CEO Michael Ludlum and PRESIDENT Caleb Applegate will produce with Aaron Rench, Wilson's agent, in association with Rench and Wilson's film shingle, Gorilla Poet Prods.

Beloved Pictures is teaming with Mpower Pictures to produce an adaptation of C.S. Lewis fantasy novel "The Great Divorce."

Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com.

BELOVED OPTIONS N.D. WILSON’S “100 CUPBOARDS” TRILOGY

Los Angeles - Production Company BELOVED PICTURES just acquired rights to the highly sought after children’s fantasy trilogy, 100 CUPBOARDS, written by N.D. Wilson.  The bestselling books, 100 CUPBOARDS, DANDELION FIRE, and THE CHESTNUT KING, were all released by Random House.  The deal was negotiated by Beloved Pictures CEO Michael Ludlum and President Caleb Applegate with Aaron Rench, Wilson’s Agent.  They plan on producing the films in association with Rench and Wilson’s film shingle, Gorilla Poet Productions.  

The trilogy chronicles the incredible journeys of Henry York, who discovers that the old Kansas farmhouse he calls home harbors mysterious cupboards leading to worlds and dangers beyond his imagination. Surrounded by his quirky Uncle Frank and lovable Aunt Dotty, along with cousins Henrietta, Penelope, and Anastasia, Henry discovers his true self in the struggle against the deathless and once-imprisoned evil he has unwittingly unleashed into the worlds.  

“This is truly one of the most outstanding works of fiction our company has ever had the pleasure to read.” said Ludlum. “Wilson is an incredible writer with an imagination that knows no bounds.  We are thrilled to help shepherd this instant classic to the screen, and believe it will garner the same type of fan loyalty and passion as other successful book-to-film brands.” Of the deal, Wilson said, "I should be nervous, handing my stories off to producers, but I'm actually thrilled. Beloved's enthusiasm for the books makes me confident that these projects are in the right hands."

Beloved Pictures is currently teaming up with Mpower Pictures on the recently announced co-production of the C.S. Lewis classic, THE GREAT DIVORCE, to be adapted by N.D. Wilson. 

Beloved Pictures was founded in 2007, and is managed by Michael Ludlum, Caleb Applegate, and Robert Abramoff.  

PR contacts:

42West
Nicolette Aizenberg
212-774-3686
nicolette.aizenberg@42west.net

Producers wed for 'Divorce' fantasy

Mpower, Beloved to adapt C.S. Lewis novel

By Dave Mcnary

Variety

Mpower Pictures ("The Stoning of Soraya M.") and Beloved Pictures are teaming to co-produce C.S. Lewis' fantasy novel "The Great Divorce."  Veteran producer and Mpower CEO Steve McEveety will lead the production team. Childrens' book author N.D. Wilson ("Leepike Ridge," "100 Cupboards") is attached to write.

Lewis, who wrote the "Chronicles of Narnia" books and often wove Christian themes into his works, published "The Great Divorce" in 1945. Story centers on a man who learns that the sprawling, dim metropolis where he's been living is actually Hell; he hops on a bus headed for the outskirts of Elsewhere, only to discover that the one place worse than Hell, for a self-absorbed ad executive, just might be Heaven.

Mpower was created by McEveety in 2007 after he'd been a longtime exec at Mel Gibson's Icon Prods. He produced "The Passion of the Christ" and "We Were Soldiers" and exec produced "Braveheart" and "What Women Want."

Mpower president of production John Shepherd brought in the project. The Beloved Pictures team includes CEO Michael Ludlum, president Caleb Applegate and VP Bob Abramoff.

Mpower recently completed the live action family film "Snowmen," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and stars Ray Liotta and Christopher Lloyd. Other projects include romantic comedy "Hello, I Love You" by director Sunu Gonera ("Pride"); a film based on Adam Ciralsky's article "Scandal Tycoon, Contractor, Soldier, Spy"; Joe Eszterhas' "Guadalupe"; and "Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com.

Beloved developing new unscripted reality series

LOS ANGELES — Beloved Pictures has announced that it will be venturing into television production.  THE SPIRITUAL, their first project in development, is an all new original television series that chronicles current unexplainable supernatural and paranormal claims around the world. 

Caleb W. Applegate, the show's creator, will produce alongside CEO and partner Michael Ludlum.

More news and information on Beloved’s current projects, can be found on the company’s website, www.belovedpictures.com.

By Mason Harrison

The Great Divorce' to Get Movie Treatment

Film rights to C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy secured by Beloved Pictures

by Mark Moring

Christianity Today

Heaven has been depicted on the big screen before, but never quite like this -- as the most beautiful landscape you've ever seen, but every blade of grass is so hard it actually hurts your feet to walk on them, and a single leaf so heavy you can't lift it.

Such is the creative depiction of heaven by C. S. Lewis in The Great Divorce--great fodder for a filmmaker with a rich imagination and a love for the work. And now it appears that the story has found just that.

Beloved Pictures announced Monday that it has secured film rights to the story, and that David L. Cunningham (To End All Wars, Seeker: The Dark Is Rising) will direct. Cunningham, 38, is a Christian and the son of Youth With a Mission co-founders Loren and Darlene Cunningham.

The Great Divorce tells the story of one man's journey--on a bus!--from the post-apocalyptic wasteland of a grey town to the outskirts of heaven.

"We are tremendously excited to bring one of Lewis's most profound stories to the screen," said Beloved Pictures CEO Michael Ludlum. "We believe that this story, much like the Chronicles of Narnia, will resonate with a global audience."

Beloved is currently seeking investors for the film, which may begin filming sometime in 2010. A release date has not yet been determined.

The Hollywood Reporter

May 14, 2009, 06:02 PM ET

Beloved Pictures has picked up the original screenplay "Nora," written by Cinco Paul and Jonathan Hale.

The film will be produced by Beloved execs Caleb Applegate, Robert Abramoff and Michael Ludlum. Paul and Hale also are attached as executive producers.

The New Haven, Conn.-set drama explores one family's efforts to move on after a tragedy. The producers are in the process of casting and looking for a director.

"I have known Cinco for years and have wanted to work with him for a long time," said Abramoff, who brought in the script. "This project is a unique blend of a heart-wrenching story along with often hilarious situations that everyone can relate to."

Paul, who is repped by Gersh and the Radmin Co., has co-written "College Road Trip," "The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause" and "Horton Hears a Who!" -- which grossed $295 million worldwide. The animated film "Despicable Me," which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Ken Daurio, is in production at Universal.

Beloved also has "Dear Eleanor" and "The Lockingham Letters" in development.