Bridge to Terabithia (2007 movie) facts for kids

Bridge to Terabithia is a fantasy movie released in 2007. Gábor Csupó directed the film. It was written for the screen by David L. Paterson and Jeff Stockwell. The movie is based on the popular Katherine Paterson novel of the same name. Walt Disney Pictures released the movie in the U.S.A.

The story is about two 12-year-old friends, Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. They are neighbors who spend their free time in a secret tree house. There, they create a magical fantasy world called Terabithia. David Paterson, one of the screenwriters, is Katherine Paterson's son. The book is based on parts of his own childhood. He asked his mother if he could write the movie script, and she agreed. The movie was filmed in Auckland, New Zealand, in just two months. It was a big success, earning over $137 million worldwide. Critics praised the movie for being true to the book. They also liked its amazing visuals and the actors' performances. Bridge to Terabithia won five Young Artist Awards.

What Happens in Bridge to Terabithia?

Jesse "Jess" Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is a fifth grader. He loves to draw and wants to be an artist. He lives with his family, who do not have much money. Jess rides the bus to school with his little sister, May Belle (Bailee Madison). He tries to avoid the school bully, Janice Avery (Lauren Clinton).

A new student, Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), joins Jess's class. At recess, Jess enters a running race. He had been training hard for it. Leslie also joins the race and beats all the boys, including Jess. This makes Jess a bit annoyed. On their way home, Jess and Leslie find out they live next door to each other.

Jess and Leslie Become Friends

One evening, Jess gets upset when his sister draws in his special notebook. His strict father (Robert Patrick) takes May Belle's side. The next day at school, Leslie sees Jess's notebook. She tells him how much she likes his drawings. Soon, they become the best of friends.

After school, they go into the woods. They swing across a creek using a rope. On the other side, Jess and Leslie discover an old tree house. They decide to create a new world there. They call it Terabithia. This fantasy world comes alive as they explore the area. It reflects their own lives and feelings. For many days, Jess and Leslie spend their free time in the tree house. They learn more and more about each other.

Adventures in Terabithia

For Jess's birthday, Leslie gives him an art kit. Jess is very happy with this gift. Later, Jess gives Leslie a puppy. She names the puppy Prince Terrien. In Terabithia, they imagine fighting different creatures. One of them looks like Janice Avery, the school bully.

At school, May Belle shows off her Twinkies snack to her friend. Jess tells her not to brag about her food. Later, May Belle tells Jess and Leslie that Janice stole her Twinkies. Leslie gets annoyed by Janice's rules for using the school bathroom. So, Jess and Leslie play a trick on Janice. Everyone on the bus laughs at her because of it.

New Friendships and Challenges

When Leslie's parents finish writing their book, Jess and Leslie help them paint their house. Jess is impressed by how happy Leslie's family is. On Friday at school, Leslie hears Janice crying in the bathroom. Leslie talks to Janice and learns that Janice is having a very hard time at home. They become friends.

Jess and Leslie take Prince Terrien to Terabithia. There, they imagine fighting creatures that look like other students from their school. They decide to go home when it starts raining. The creek becomes much higher than usual because of the rain.

A Sad Day and a New Beginning

The next morning, Ms. Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel), Jess's music teacher, invites him to an art museum. Jess asks his mother for permission. She is half-asleep and mumbles something, which Jess takes as a "yes." Jess does not ask Leslie to come with him.

When Jess returns home, his parents are very worried. They did not know where he was. His father tells him the terrible news: Leslie drowned in the river that morning. This happened while Jess was at the museum. Jess is heartbroken and very sad. He visits Leslie's family with his parents to offer their sympathy. Leslie's father, Bill Burke (Latham Gaines), tells Jess that Leslie loved him very much. He thanks Jess for being such a good friend to her. Leslie had found it hard to make friends at her old school.

Jess feels very guilty about Leslie's death. His father comforts him. He tells Jess to keep their friendship alive in his memories. Jess decides to imagine Terabithia again. He builds a strong bridge across the river. This bridge is a way to welcome a new ruler to Terabithia. He invites his sister, May Belle, to enter their special world. May Belle is thrilled because she was never allowed to go there before. Jess and May Belle make Terabithia even more wonderful, with Jess as the king and his sister as the princess.

Making the Movie

Filming for Bridge to Terabithia started in February 2006. The movie had a budget of about $20 million. Most of the filming took place in Auckland, New Zealand. It was shot in just sixty days. Editing the movie took ten weeks. Then, many months were spent on post-production, music, and special effects. The movie was finished by November 2006. The crew had to work quickly to meet the release date of February 16, 2007.

Gábor Csupó directed the movie. He had never directed a live-action film before. However, the studio, Walden Media, believed in him. Csupó said he had wanted to make a live-action movie for a long time. He loved the book Bridge to Terabithia and found it "beautiful." Michael Chapman was the movie's cinematographer. This was his last movie before he retired. He said he wanted his final film to be a good one.

Choosing the Actors

Gábor Csupó chose Bailee Madison to play May Belle Aarons. He liked her charm and confidence.

The director, Gábor Csupó, said they did not have any actors in mind at first. The first actor chosen was AnnaSophia Robb for the role of Leslie Burke. Robb wrote Csupó a very touching letter. It showed how much she loved the book and the character. Csupó said Robb was chosen because of her letter and her excitement for the role.

Lauren Levine, a producer, also spoke with Robb. Levine felt that Robb was perfect for Leslie. She said Robb had the same "spark and magical presence" as the character. Robb herself said that Leslie "has this glow about her, and no one can bring her down."

Finding the actor for Jess was harder. The filmmakers needed someone who could play a shy boy. Then, he had to become a brave leader in Terabithia. Josh Hutcherson was not their first choice. But he was chosen because he and AnnaSophia Robb had great "chemistry" together. Hutcherson liked the movie because it showed real-life drama. He also liked how Jess's character grew throughout the story.

Robert Patrick was cast as Jess's father. He had a lot of experience in movies. Patrick said he understood the story. He used to create imaginary worlds when he was a kid, too. He also agreed to act in the movie because it was something his own children could watch.

Bailee Madison was chosen to play May Belle Aarons. Csupó said they looked for a long time for the right person. He said Bailee had "such a charm" and was "totally sweet and perky." He was very happy with her attitude and cast her.

Design and Special Effects

Director Csupó made a clear decision from the start. He did not want to use too many special effects. He wanted to keep the story true to the book. The book only briefly mentions Jess and Leslie fighting creatures in Terabithia. So, the filmmakers tried to use the fewest effects needed for the movie version.

To design the creatures of Terabithia, Csupó wanted them to be more artistic and imaginative. He was inspired by other famous directors. Dima Malanitchev drew the creatures, with Csupó's help. Csupó chose Weta Digital to create the 3D animation. He was impressed by their artistic skills and teamwork. Weta changed some of the creature designs slightly. But they mostly used Csupó's original ideas.

About 100 people from Weta worked on the movie. They were animating while the movie was being filmed. Weta's team watched the filming of all scenes with creatures. They first created realistic-looking creatures from sketches. Then, they made sure the creatures moved and looked their best.

Leslie's costumes in the movie were designed to look like she might have made some of them herself. They were updated from the book's descriptions. This was because the original descriptions might look strange today.

Writing the Story

Producer and screenwriter David L. Paterson is the son of the novel's author. The book was dedicated to him. The story is based on his real-life best friend, Lisa Hill. She was killed by lightning when they were both eight years old. David asked his mother if he could write the movie script. She agreed because he was a good playwright.

Paterson found it hard to get his script made into a movie. This was mainly because Leslie dies in the story. He said some companies even asked if he could just "hurt" Leslie a little. They wanted her to be in a light coma and then wake up.

Paterson said it was very important to keep the spirit of the book. But he also had to change it from a book, which is mostly in the characters' minds, to a visual movie. Paterson knew the movie had to be about friendship and imagination. He focused on showing the strong emotions of the story. He found it hard to write about Terabithia because it was so personal to him. He thanked Jeff Stockwell, the other screenwriter, for helping to create Terabithia for the movie. Csupó said the main characters are a bit older in the movie. He felt this made more sense because the movie deals with friendship and first innocent love.

Movie Music

Aaron Zigman wrote the music for the movie. He was hired after another composer did not work out. Zigman said the music for Bridge to Terabithia has some similarities to his music for the movie Flicka. He mentioned a small Celtic influence. But he also said the music for Bridge to Terabithia felt more modern. He described the movie's music as "very large" compared to his other work. He enjoyed creating big orchestral music for the film. The official soundtrack was released on February 13, 2007.

Movie Release

How the Movie Was Advertised

Some people criticized how the movie was advertised. They felt the ads made the movie seem like a pure fantasy film. One critic said the movie was actually "grounded in reality far more than in fantasy." Another thought it was a "touching tale of preteen companionship and loss," not just an escape into fantasy.

Where and When It Was Released

The movie first showed at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on February 16, 2007. David Paterson, the screenwriter, held a special early showing for his university. This was at the AFI Silver Theatre on February 1, 2007. The movie opened in the UK on May 4, 2007. It came out in New Zealand on June 7, 2007.

The movie earned more money than expected. It made over $28 million on its opening weekend. It earned about $6.3 million on its first day. The movie made a total of $120 million worldwide. About $80 million of that came from the US and Canada.

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions were released on June 19, 2007, in the US. These versions included special features. They had "Digital Imagination: Bringing Terabithia to Life" and "Behind the Book: The Themes of Bridge to Terabithia." There was also a music video by AnnaSophia Robb called "Keep Your Mind Wide Open." The DVD and Blu-ray also had two audio commentaries. One was with the director and writers. The other was with a producer and the actors Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb.

In Spanish: Bridge to Terabithia (película de 2007) para niños