Marc Forster To Direct Spin-Off To Owen Wilson And Julia Roberts’ ‘Wonder’

Lionsgate just announced that Marc Forester will be directing White Bird: A Wonder Story, a spin-off from Lionsgate’s blockbuster drama Wonder. Directed by Forster (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace and Stranger Than Fiction among others) and penned by Mark Bomback (War for the Planet of the Apes), White Bird is based on R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel and will be a “creative companion drawn from the universe of the 2017 Lionsgate hit Wonder.”

The film, which will concern an 11-year-old bully (Julian Albans, played by Bryce Gheisar in Wonder) becoming enlightened after hearing his grandmother’s story of growing up in a Nazi-occupied France and the outcast who became her best friend, exists because Wonder (starring Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson) earned $312 million on a $20 million budget.

Like The Blind Side opening with $34 million alongside the $142 million debut of The Twilight Saga: New Moon in November of 2009, Lionsgate smartly positioned Wonder on the same day as Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon’s Justice League. Correctly predicting that the DC Films ensemble flick would be a (relatively speaking) “for fans only” affair, Lionsgate built on the popularity of R. J. Palacio’s “choose kind” novel, the star power and its existence as an aggressively feel-good coming-of-age story for all ages existing alongside the superhero tentpole and the next week’s Pixar toon (Coco).

The Mandeville release legged out to $132 million domestic from a $27 million debut, with $312 million worldwide. Among Lionsgate’s non-sequels in raw global grosses, that’s behind only The Hunger Games, La La Land and Now You See Me. I can certainly see why Lionsgate wants to turn this into a brand, especially considering the continued popularity of R. J Palacio’s books (15 million copies in 53 languages), but much of this will depend on casting and how much of the story is a wrenching World War II melodrama.

Educational value notwithstanding, there aren’t a ton of blockbuster holocaust films. Even Jojo Rabbit, with oodles of buzz and Oscar triumphs, earned $33 million domestic and $90 million worldwide. Not so much The Zookeeper’s Wife ($26 million in 2017), although The Book Thief earned $76 million in 2013. Truth be told, depending on what transpires next week I may be in no mood for Nazi-era flicks unless they’re absolutely essential to the film critic conversation. I have to wonder if others share my… concern.

Moreover, Wonder was a hit partially because A) it was aggressively nice and B) it had much-liked adult movie stars in comparatively rare (in a tentpole world) lead roles. Say what you will about the source material and positive reviews but Wonder also clicked because parents noticed that Roberts and Wilson were co-headlining that “feel-good” family flick (and that Daveed Diggs and Mandy Patinkin were pitching in as well).

That’s not to predict gloom-n-doom, but merely to note that Wonder was a breakout smash because of specific circumstances beyond just a brand or a popular author. I’m presuming Lionsgate knows this too. Besides, Wonder so ridiculously overperformed in 2017 that White Bird could easily earn far less (presuming a budget over/under $25 million) and still be a solid hit for all parties while also being the kind of movie that folks “discover” on streaming platforms or on VOD.