“The Reading Promise” bestselling memoir to be adapted into film

PanARMENIAN.Net - Relativity and Walden Media will team for an adaptation of the bestselling memoir The Reading Promise, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The studios will develop, finance and produce the film, with Relativity overseeing U.S distribution. Doug Atchison, who wrote Akeelah and the Bee, will adapt the script from Alice Ozma's memoir.

The Reading Promise is Ozma's story of the pact her single father, elementary school librarian Jim Brozina, made to read aloud with her for one hundred consecutive nights — which became 3,218 nights, or eight years, until Ozma left for college. Her memoir was published by Grand Central Publishing in 2011 and made the Los Angeles Times' hardcover nonfiction best seller list.

The project came to Walden by way of development and production vp Naia Cucukov, who was a student of Brozina;s in their town of Millville, New Jersey. She will oversee the project on Walden's behalf. Robbie Brenner and Josh Reinhold will oversee on Relativity's.

Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh will produce with Deborah Giarratana (Machine Gun Preacher) alongside Walden Media. Relativity president Tucker Tooley will executive produce.

Walden COO Frank Smith says, "At its core, The Reading Promise is a heartfelt, imaginative story that celebrates family and love of reading, and as such, celebrates the core tenants of a Walden Media film. Jim Brozina's dedication to his family and the promise they made are nothing short of inspirational."