The Berenstain Bears

The next stop for the beloved Berenstain Bears is the big screen. Shawn Levy, who is director of the Night at the Museum movies, has signed on to produce film version of the The Berenstain Bears books. Levy is planning on this being a comedy with both live action and computer animation.

These popular characters were first published by creators Jan and Stan Berenstain in 1962’s “The Big Honey Hunt,” and they have remained popular ever since. Levy says that to maintain the level of popularity that these books have is a formidable achievement, and they must have something special in their DNA to have endured this long. He is looking forward to begin working on the film.

Levy says he wants the film to stay true to the original story and to incorporate some details from the more popular books in the series. He also said he will be sure that the film is witty, but never sarcastic, comparing it to Will Ferrell’s Elf, a movie that had a sweet, sincere hero who conflicted with his more mocking environment. Ultimately, they want to stay true to the Berenstain’s origins as to not disappoint the generations of families who have enjoyed them. There are hopes that the screenplay will be completed by late next year.

I thought this was kind of cool; when I saw the picture of the Berenstain Bears on the website it immediately brought back memories from being a kid and reading those books, and even better, watching the movies. I vividly remember enjoying the books and cartoons thoroughly, and hopefully this film will continue the legacy and keep the bears pertinent to children today. I only hope that if the film does not live up to the books, it doesn’t damage what has proven to pass the test of time.