Hannah Gold’s The Last Bear to be adapted for film

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold is being adapted for the screen following a deal struck by Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artists Partnership on behalf of agent Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White (RCW).

First published in 2021 by HarperCollins Children’s Books, The Last Bear went on to win the BBC’s Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. It is now being adapted for the screen by ZQ Entertainment, WexWorks Media and Prime Universe Films.

The film will be produced by Ara Keshishian and Petr Jakl, Matt Wexler and Adrian Askarieh. Screenwriter and playwright Patrick Burleigh, whose credits include the Marvel movies "The Eternals" and "Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is on board to adapt, and the project is now out to directors.

Gold said: “To have the book of my heart made into a film is a dream come true and I was blown away by the vision, the care and the ambition shown by Ara, Petr, Adrian and Matt. I can’t wait to see April and Bear on the big screen ready to inspire the next generation.”

Keshishian and Jakl at ZQ Entertainment said: “Hannah Gold has written an instant classic. A book that embodies the strength of young children everywhere, and tells in the most nuanced ways one of the great challenges we face in the new century.”

Askarieh at Prime Universe Films added: "The Last Bear is a once in a lifetime book which not only thrills and entertains, but also inspires all children (and, in fact, all adults) to realise that no matter what their circumstances are, they can make a difference in the world. It’s an honour to be one of the custodians of Hannah’s incredible creation as it makes its way to the big screen.”