"Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy will produce a feature film based on beloved children's book characters the Berenstain Bears.

Walden Media pucchased rights to the characters and will produce the family-oriented comedy with  Levy's 21 Laps and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana.

Levy said the film will mix live-action with computer-generated characters.

The first Berenstain Bears book, created by Jan and Stan Berenstain, was published in 1962. Since then there have been about 250 books, a trio of animated TV series and numerous TV specials based on the bear family.

Nelvana produced the animated "Berenstain Bears" series that airs on PBS. 

Family entertainment producer Walden Media, which acquired rights to the bear characters, is behind feature films including the "Chronicles of Narnia" series and the upcoming "Tooth Fairy," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The film is expected to be in production by next year, with a release date sometime late in 2011.