Alcon Entertainment (“The Blind Side”) has acquired film and TV rights to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" brand from Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing.
Alcon will finance and produce a major feature film that shares the brand’s name, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” Warner Bros will release via Alcon’s output deal.
The film will be produced by The Kerner Entertainment Company and its principle Jordan Kerner (“Fried Green Tomatoes") along with Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.
Brandon Camp (“Love Happens”) will write the screenplay, which is inspired by a variety of characters and stories from the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.
The film will be executive produced by Ben Haber (“Across the Universe”), Bill Rouhana and Tim Rouhana, while Kate Moulene will co-produce.
“We’re thrilled to partner with ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul,’ the world renowned brand that has become synonymous with inspiration and life improvement and has touched hundreds of millions of readers through the power of storytelling. The ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series lends itself perfectly to a fictional narrative that will inspire, entertain and intrigue," said Johnson and Kosove in a joint statement.
“I have so much respect for the brand Bill Rouhana has built and continues to build and accelerate at Chicken Soup for the Soul. It is based on inspiration from true life stories, an inspiration which is much needed in the world today, as well as a set of beliefs that I hold near and dear," added Kerner.
Originally created by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen in 1993, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" has evolved into a worldwide multi-channel brand now stewarded by publisher Amy Newmark and expanded by CEO Bill Rouhana.
“On the 20th anniversary of our first book, I’m delighted to go back to my roots by adding movies and television to the variety of servings that 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' offers. Our fans and readers trust us as their source for positive and moving stories and they’re hungry for more. It would be a disservice to them not to bring ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ to life in film. I know that Alcon, Kerner and Camp are the right partners to make that happen,” said Bill Rouhana.
Deal was negotiated by Alcon’s COO Scott Parish and attorneys Scott Edel (Loeb & Loeb) for Alcon, Chuck Scott (Gang Tyre) for Kerner, Peter Dekom for Chicken Soup for the Soul and Paradigm agent Rand Holston, who represents both Kerner and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
