Gal Gadot and Yonit Levi's Book Adaptation Headed for Hollywood
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Channel 12 anchor Yonit Levi and CNN correspondent Bianna Golodryga's novel "Don't Feed the Lion" is being adapted into a film by FOX Entertainment Studios. Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano will executive produce the project, which addresses rising antisemitism faced by Jewish teenagers. The book has achieved bestseller status in the US and Israel since its release last year. The film adaptation aims to bring the story's message about Jewish identity and combating hatred to a global audience.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yonit Levi and Bianna Golodryga's novel "Don't Feed the Lion" is being adapted into a Hollywood film.
- Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano will executive produce the movie adaptation.
- The book addresses rising antisemitism faced by Jewish teenagers in Chicago.
- The novel has achieved bestseller status in both the US and Israel.
- The film adaptation is a collaboration between FOX Entertainment Studios, Moriah Media, and Pilot Wave.
An unprecedented Israeli-American collaboration is set to bring a young adult novel to Hollywood. FOX Entertainment Studios, along with production companies Moriah Media and Gal Gadot's Pilot Wave, announced Wednesday the development of a film adaptation of "Don't Feed the Lion." The successful novel was co-written by Channel 12's main news anchor, Yonit Levi, and senior CNN correspondent Bianna Golodryga.
Gadot and her husband, Jaron Varsano, will serve as executive producers for the international project. The book, first published in English a year ago and released in Israel last summer, quickly became a critical and commercial success. It tells the story of three Jewish teenagers in Chicago confronting rising antisemitism in their school.
The novel has sold tens of thousands of copies, topped Amazon's bestseller list for Jewish children's literature, and appeared on USA Today's bestseller list. In a joint statement, Levi and Golodryga expressed their motivation: "We wrote the book as two Jewish mothers anxious about the world our children are growing up in. We are grateful to Fox, Gal Gadot, and Jaron Varsano for immediately understanding the story's mission."
For Levi, this overseas adaptation marks a significant career milestone. As the face of Channel 12 news for over two decades, she has covered major Israeli events and interviewed global leaders like Barack Obama and Joe Biden. She also co-hosts the podcast "Unholy" with Jonathan Friedland, discussing current affairs and Jewish identity.
Levi and Golodryga, a globally recognized journalist, were driven by deep concern over the surge in Western antisemitism. Through "Don't Feed the Lion," they aimed to convey the complexities of contemporary Jewish identity, dealing with boycotts and hatred, and the importance of speaking out. Now, with the backing of Fox Studios and Gadot and Varsano's production, this message is poised to reach millions worldwide on the big screen.