BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA - BUENA VISTA PICTURES
PRODUCTION NOTES
“Just close your eyes and keep your mind wide open.”
—Leslie
Deep in the woods, far beyond the road, across a stream, lies a secret world only two people
on Earth know about—a world brimming with fantastical creatures, glittering palaces and
magical forests. This is Terabithia, where two young friends will discover how to rule their
own kingdom, fight the forces of darkness and change their lives forever through the power of
the imagination.
From Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, the producers of “The Chronicles of
Narnia,” and based on one of the most beloved novels of all time, comes an adventurous and
moving tale that explores the wonders of friendship, family and fantasy: BRIDGE TO
TERABITHIA.
The story begins with Jess Aarons (JOSH HUTCHERSON), a young outsider on a quest to
become the fastest kid in his school. But when the new girl in town, Leslie Burke
(ANNASOPHIA ROBB), leaves Jess and everyone else in her dust, Jess’s frustration with her
ultimately leads to them becoming fast friends.
At first, it seems Jess and Leslie couldn’t be more different—she’s rich, he’s poor, she’s
from the city, he’s from the country—but when Leslie begins to open up the world of
imagination to Jess, they find they have something amazing to share: the kingdom of
Terabithia, a realm of giants, ogres and other enchanted beings that can only be accessed by
boldly swinging across a stream in the woods on a strand of rope. Here, Leslie and Jess rule
as King and Queen among the incredible creatures they create, and not even the forces of evil
can break their bond. Now, no matter what happens in the real world, in Terabithia, Leslie
gives Jess a magical place that will always be filled with amazing stories and dreams.
An imagination-fueled production, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is directed by Gabor
Csupo, the world-renowned animation artist who makes his live-action debut, from a
screenplay by Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson, based on the Newbery Award-winning novel
by Katherine Paterson, who wrote the story for David when he was a boy. Bringing the
dazzling, original creatures of Terabithia to life are the Academy Award®-winning visualeffects
wizards at New Zealand’s Weta Digital (“The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Lord of the
Rings,” “King Kong”). The film’s producers are Hal Lieberman, Lauren Levine and David
Paterson.
The cast includes rising young stars Josh Hutcherson (“RV,” “Zathura”) and
AnnaSophia Robb (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Because of Winn-Dixie”) along
PRODUCTION NOTES
with Robert Patrick (“Walk the Line,” “The Unit”) and Zooey Deschanel. The behind-thescenes
team who merged reality and fantasy on location in the forests of New Zealand
includes two-time Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Michael Chapman (“The
Fugitive,” “Raging Bull”), production designer Rob Gillies (“The World’s Fastest Indian”),
costume designer Barbara Darragh (“River Queen,” “The Frighteners”) and Academy Award®-
nominated editor John Gilbert (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The
World’s Fastest Indian”).
Hollywood Tonight 2007 © All rights reserved - All materials used with permission.
Buena Vista Pictures and Walden Media 2007 © All rights reserved.
