Bridge To Terabithia (2007 Film)

Bridge To Terabithia (2007 Film)

Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 fantasy drama film directed by Gábor Csupó and adapted for film by David L. Paterson and Jeff Stockwell. The film is based on the Katherine Paterson novel of the same name, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures in the US. The film stars Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Robert Patrick, Bailee Madison, and Zooey Deschanel. Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke, ten-year-old neighbors who create a fantasy world called Terabithia and spend their free time together in an abandoned tree house.

Screenwriter David Paterson (Katherine Paterson's son) based the novel on parts of his childhood. When he asked his mother if he could write a screenplay of the novel, she agreed because of his ability as a playwright. Production began in February 2006, and the film was finished by November. Principal photography was shot in Auckland, New Zealand within sixty days. Film editing took ten weeks, while post-production, music mixing, and visual effects took several months.

Bridge to Terabithia was released to extremely positive reviews; critics called it a faithful adaption of the children's novel, and found dynamic visuals and natural performances further enhanced the imaginative film. Bridge to Terabithia was nominated for seven awards, winning five at the Young Artist Awards.