Source: Fred Lee / Getty
One of the most memorable educational programs in history is about to get honored. A documentary is being developed based on LeVar Burton’s Reading Rainbow.
As spotted on The Grio the popular series from the 1980’s is about to be given a Hollywood treatment. According to the story Butterfly in the Sky will chronologize the show’s magical history with archival footage and interviews with LeVar Burton. Additionally several other noted celebrities will also participate including “major broadcasters, educators, and filmmakers involved in the show that encouraged a love of books and reading among children.” The project will be directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, of GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling fame.
Whitman detailed the shows impact via formal statement. “Reading Rainbow was my window into the big city and into diverse cultures. With segments like those in ‘Hill of Fire,’ ‘Liang and the Magic Paintbrush,’ and countless other episodes, Reading Rainbow was arguably the first time I encountered ‘documentary-style’ television as a young person, planting a seed that would inspire me for the rest of my life and lead me to where I am in my career to this day” he said.
“As a Mexican-American growing up in Houston, I was always surrounded by diversity. More than any show on television, Reading Rainbow reflected the cultures that surrounded me” Thomason shared. “When the book fair came to my school, I went straight for the Reading Rainbow titles. I didn’t know it at the time, but the show’s mission statement was manifesting itself in me. I devour books to this day and I know Reading Rainbow had a hand in that”.
Reading Rainbow ran for 26 years and was PBS’s most watched educational program. Butterfly in the Sky is set for a 2022 release.
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