White Bird, the WWII story featuring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson in titular roles, finally has a digital release date! Lionsgate recently announced that the film will be available on PVOD starting November 1, 2024. The movie stars Mirren as a grandmother revisiting her past and features Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, and Anderson in supporting roles.
The film is directed by Marc Forster, known for his work on Finding Neverland, and the screenplay is done by Mark Bomback. It is based on the book by Wonder author R.J. Palacio, whose works have promoted the Choose Kind movement. Palacio’s themes of empathy, courage, and kindness are very well known and this critically acclaimed drama brings to the table just that, especially as it’s about confronting prejudice and violence.
The story follows Julian (Gheisar), a young boy recently expelled from school due to his bullying of Auggie Pullman, a character introduced in Palacio’s earlier novel Wonder. As Julian tries to adjust to a new environment, he is visited by his grandmother (Mirren), who shares her own story of survival during the Nazi occupation of France. This whole situation allows Julian to learn lessons and understand themes of resilience and compassion, witnessing firsthand how his grandmother’s bravery and empathy helped her survive one of history’s darkest periods.
‘White Bird’ Faced Multiple Delays Before Securing Its Final Release Date
White Bird was initially scheduled for a limited release in the U.S. on August 18, 2023, followed by a wide release on August 25, 2023. However, in July 2023, the SAG-AFTRA strike led Lionsgate to delay the release to an unspecified date later that year. Finally, after a few months of uncertainty, Lionsgate confirmed the film would hit theaters widely on October 4, 2024.
Produced by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman, White Bird is a Lionsgate release presented in association with Participant, Kingdom Story Company, Media Capital Technologies, and Mandeville Films. The film has managed to rake in a global total of $7.7 million by now, the end of October 2024. While this is a decent performance, the film’s availability on PVOD starting November 1, 2024, could help it reach a broader audience moving forward.
White Bird is rated PG-13 due to its thematic material, language, and strong violence — so it’s appropriate enough for a teenage and adult audience. The film runs for a total of 121 minutes and will be available in audio options in English, Spanish, and French and subtitles for the same.
Although the film is still running in theaters, the digital release will be up for grabs starting November. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates!