Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Developing ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ Movie With Build-A-Bear (Exclusive):

This marks the first feature from the kids and animation division of Witherspoon’s company. The reimagining of the classic tale will lean heavily into the title character as a powerful female protagonist.

Welcome home, Goldilocks.

Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Harden’s production company Hello Sunshine and Build-A-Bear Entertainment are partnering to develop a reimagination of the classic children’s story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The movie — which marks the first feature from Hello Sunshine’s kids and animation division — will be a modern take on the classic tale that leans into the title character as a powerful female protagonist.

Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine’s head of kids and animation, Claire Curley, will executive produce the project alongside Build-A-Bear’s Sharon Price John and Foundation Media Partners’ Patrick Hughes. Hello Sunshine CEO Sarah Harden said the hope is “for this collaboration to provide families a new way to experience and share” the company’s mission.

This is the first partnership between Hello Sunshine and Build-A-Bear, the global family-friendly branded toy and entertainment company.

“Over the last 25 years, Build-A-Bear has created a trusted fanbase rooted in family, personal connection, and storytelling with teddy bears, making them the perfect partner for this project,” Curley said in a statement. “We’re excited to collaborate with them to bring a new perspective to such a timeless tale that we know will inspire young audiences.”

Added Build-A-Bear Workshop president-CEO Sharon Price John, “We are thrilled to partner with Hello Sunshine and Reese Witherspoon, who, through her energy, experience and intuition, has consistently proven her ability to bring talented people together and bring out the best in them. You could feel the magnetic creativity in the air from our early discussion about the concept and I believe the success of Hello Sunshine is a proof-point of the potential of this project.”

Founded by Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine is known for putting women at the center of its stories. The high-profile production company — now a part of Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Candle Media — is also home to Reese’s Book Club and the newly launched RBC App.

Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a division of Build-A-Bear Workshop, the IP-based company best known for its unique “build-your-own” retail concept, already has produced several feature-length films in conjunction with Foundation Media, including Honey Girls, Deliver by Christmas and Christmas CEO.

Hughes, who is founder and CEO of Foundation, added: “Build-A-Bear and Hello Sunshine are two major powerhouses. They boast the kind of influence and global reach that very few brands have. Their sensibilities also complement each other very well, and the story of Goldilocks is a natural product of that ideal brand marriage.”

View this article at The Hollywood Reporter.