Jason Reitman Will Write and Direct ‘Beekle’

Jason Reitman to Write and Direct Beekle
Jason Reitman (Photo Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation)

Jason Reitman will be making his animated feature film directorial debut with DreamWorks Animation’s Beekle, based on the children’s book The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. Reitman’s best known for more adult fare including Juno, Thank You For Smoking, and Up in the Air, and with Beekle he’ll be aiming for a much younger audience.

“Welcoming Jason onto this project is a true coup, as his incredible ability to tell heartfelt character-driven stories with a signature comedic tone makes him the perfect choice to bring this beloved book to the big screen,” said DreamWorks Animation’s Co-Presidents of Feature Animation Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria. “We immediately fell in love with the concept of Beekle and know that Jason will create something truly special from this fantastic source material.”

“I was book shopping with my daughter when a little tooth-shaped character in a paper crown stole our hearts,” said Reitman. “His name was Beekle and I’m honored to now be adapting Santat’s charming story into a feature film. I’m particularly proud to be working with DreamWorks Animation, makers of Kung Fu Panda, the first film my daughter ever saw on the big screen.”

The Plot:

Beekle is the story of an imaginary friend who is so odd and so unique that no kid could possibly imagine him. So he decides to take matters into his own hands, and sets off on an unimaginable journey to the land of people in search of a best friend.