A Trio of Scholastic Titles Heads to Hallmark Channel

Scholastic Entertainment is developing a trio of new movies based on popular books for the Hallmark Channel.

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab, You’re Bacon Me Crazy! by Suzanne Nelson, and Playing Cupid by Jenny Meyerhoff will be co-developed for the screen with Basset Hound Distribution.

“Hallmark’s commitment to presenting what its audience wants, year after year, is incredibly impressive, and we’ve long had the company on our radar as an ideal partner for Scholastic Entertainment,” says Caitlin Friedman, senior vice president and general manager at Scholastic Entertainment. “We are thrilled to be working with Basset Hound Distribution to create movies for Hallmark’s slate, which includes a compelling storyline for younger viewers that incorporates elements of adult romance, ensuring enjoyable viewing for all ages.”

The latest films in the development slate join The Trail, which Scholastic is developing into a motion picture with Imagine Entertainment. The company is building on a strategy to leverage its library of books to create content for a variety of platforms, including theatrical, streaming, and broadcast.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.