About White Bird
White Bird: A Wonder Story is a 2024 American drama movie set in the past, directed by Marc Forster and written by Mark Bomback. It is based on the 2019 graphic novel by R. J. Palacio. The movie acts as a prequel and sequel to the 2017 Wonder. It stars Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson, and Helen Mirren. Bryce Gheisar returns as his character Julian from Wonder.
White Bird was first released in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia on January 4, 2024. It will be released in the United States by Lionsgate on October 4, 2024.
Plot of White Bird
After what happened in the book “Wonder,” Julian leaves Beecher Prep for good. His grandmother, Sara (Grandmère), visits him from Paris. Julian tells her he feels he must be quiet and not stand out to fit in at his new school. In response, Grandmère shares her story about growing up as a Jewish girl in France during World War II when the Nazis were in control.
In 1942, Sara avoids being captured by German soldiers and hides for over a year in a barn. Her classmate, Julien, who has a leg paralyzed from polio, hides her in his family’s barn. She must stay in the barn to avoid being found by neighbors who might tell the Germans. At night, Julien teaches Sara what he learns in school. They become close and fall in love.
In 1944, after the Allies free Monte Cassino, Julien is stopped by German soldiers on his way to school and taken to a camp. He is shot and killed while trying to escape. After the war, Sara reunites with her father, but her mother has died at Auschwitz.
Cast
- Ariella Glaser as Sara Blum, a Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied France
- Orlando Schwerdt as Julien Beaumier, Sara’s polio-lamed classmate, in the barn of whose family Sara hides from the Germans
- Bryce Gheisar as Julian Albans
- Gillian Anderson as Vivienne Beaumier, Julien’s mother
- Helen Mirren as Grandmère, a renowned artist
- Jo Stone-Fewings as Jean Paul Beaumier, Julien’s father
- Patsy Ferran as Mlle Petitjean, Sara and Julien’s teacher
- Stuart McQuarrie as Pastor Luc, the headmaster of Sara and Julien’s school
- Olivia Ross as Rose Blum, Sara’s mother
- Ishai Golan as Max Blum, Sara’s father
Production of White Bird
Development
In October 2019, Lionsgate got the rights to make a movie based on R.J. Palacio’s book “White Bird: A Wonder Story.” Palacio said, “The Lionsgate team values artists and storytellers. They have helped grow the fan community around Wonder. They have supported me a lot while I was writing White Bird, and I am sure my new graphic novel is in good hands with them.”
The film was produced by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman from Mandeville Films. Jeffrey Skoll and Robert Kissel from Participant were the executive producers. Marc Forster was named as the director, and Mark Bomback wrote the script and was also an executive producer.
Casting
In February 2021, it was announced that Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson, Orlando Schwerdt, and Ariella Glaser joined the cast. It was also confirmed that Bryce Gheisar would return as Julian from the 2017 movie “Wonder”.
Filming
Filming started in February 2021 in the Czech Republic.
Release
“White Bird: A Wonder Story” was supposed to come out on September 16, 2022, but it got delayed to October 14, 2022. Then, in September 2022, Lionsgate decided not to release it on that date. Instead, the movie had a “sneak preview” at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival on July 30, 2023, with a recorded introduction from the producer, Lieberman.
In January 2023, it was announced that “White Bird” would have a limited release on August 18, 2023, and a wide release on August 25, 2023. However, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Lionsgate postponed the release to an unspecified date in late 2023. Finally, in December 2023, they set a new wide release date for October 4, 2024.
The movie was released in Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia on January 4, 2024. It came out in Portugal on January 18, 2024, and in Poland on February 2, 2024. By May 2024, more than half of the film’s worldwide earnings came from Poland. As of May 5, 2024, over 90% of the film’s global revenue came from Italy ($845,028) and Poland ($1,257,423).
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