Gal Gadot will executive produce “Don’t Feed the Lion,” an adaptation of the young adult novel by Emmy Award-winning journalist and news anchor Bianna Golodryga and Israeli Channel 12 news anchor Yonit Levi.
Fox Entertainment Studios and Moriah Media are partnering to option, develop, and produce the film with Jaron Varsano also executive producing through Pilot Wave Motion Pictures
Published by Arcadia Children’s Books, “Don’t Feed the Lion” follows Theo Kaplan, a 13-year-old soccer co-captain, his younger sister Annie and their classmate Gabe as their lives are upended when Theo’s soccer hero posts an antisemitic message online that goes viral. As the hatred spreads into their Chicago middle school, the young friends must navigate prejudice and peer pressure, seek out allies and find the courage to speak up.
Set against the backdrop of Friday night Shabbat dinners with Theo and Annie’s immigrant grandparents, the story explores cultural identity, moral courage and the importance of standing up for oneself and others. The title comes from the aphorism “don’t feed the lion,” which is shared by the children’s grandfather as an important reminder not to give fear, panic, or hatred room to grow.
“’Don’t Feed the Lion’ brings a difficult subject into focus through characters young audiences can see themselves in and choices they recognize from their own lives,” said Fernando Szew, president and FOX Entertainment Studios head, said. “At Fox Entertainment Studios, we’re drawn to stories that entertain, spark conversation and connect with audiences across generations. Bianna and Yonit have written a powerful, deeply human story and Gal and Jaron bring tremendous creative vision and passion to the project.”
“This is a story that feels especially personal to us, both as parents and as a family,” Gadot and Varsano said. “We want our children to grow up in a world where differences are respected, where hatred is challenged and where no one feels alone in standing up for what is right. ‘Don’t Feed the Lion’ opens the door to conversations that matter, and we are grateful to be part of bringing it to life.”
Golodryga, who is set to receive the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Jewish Heritage Award, is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and former CNN anchor and Senior Global Affairs Analyst. Levi has anchored Israel’s top-rated primetime news program on Channel 12 for more than two decades and is also the co-host of the international podcast “Unholy: Two Jews on the News.”
The authors wrote “Don’t Feed the Lion” in response to questions from their own children about rising antisemitism and the lack of middle-grade fiction addressing the subject.
“We wrote ‘Don’t Feed the Lion’ as two Jewish mothers concerned about the world our children were growing up in. We were alarmed not only by the rise in antisemitism, but by the lack of resources to help children and teens understand and confront it. No child should have to experience hate or feel powerless in the face of it,” said Golodryga and Levi. “We are incredibly grateful to Fox Entertainment Studios, Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano for immediately connecting with our story, embracing its mission, and recognizing the importance of bringing its message of courage, empathy and standing up to hate to an even wider audience.”
