Earlier today, Shout! Factory and Legacy Classics announced via a press release that they’ll be collaborating on at least three animated films based on the beloved Boxcar Children book series. Gertrude Chandler Warner’s series of novels follow four orphaned siblings and their beloved dog Watch, who make their home in an abandoned (you guessed it) boxcar. They are later adopted by their grandfather, who sets their boxcar up in his backyard (gotta have that boxcar). In the subsequent 100-plus books in the franchise, the kids go on to solve mysteries in their neighborhood and get into all kinds of gentle peril.
Legacy Classics co-founder Dan Chuba said of the news, “We are excited to be working with Shout! Factory. Our films will be based on some of the most cherished books in children’s literature. Shout’s on-going success with family entertainment and their entrepreneurial spirit make them an ideal partner. Together, we are committed to creating family entertainment that has a positive social impact on children and families around the world. We could not be happier!”
According to the press release, Legacy, Shout! Factory, and Boxcar Children publisher Albert Whitman & Company have “an eye toward launching the first movie timed to the 75th Anniversary of The Boxcar Children festivities.”
I fondly remember The Boxcar Children from when I was in elementary school—the series always felt like a really safe, friendly world that helped make reading more approachable. I hope that these new films bring renewed attention to the books, while also telling a more inclusive, modern version of the story.
What do you think of this news? Any other Boxcar Children fans out there?
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