A film adaptation of the Newbery-winning bestseller “Hope Was Here” is on the way. According to Deadline, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan (“Face”) is directing and producing the project while the novel’s author, Joan Bauer, penned the script. Casting will kick off in the spring and the film will shoot in summer.
“Hope Was Here” is “the story of Hope, a 16-year-old waitress who is no stranger to hardships, heartaches, and betrayal. With her aunt Addie, comfort food chef extraordinaire, she’s moved too much, but always hones her waitressing skills, impressing hungry people everywhere,” the source describes. “After losing their restaurant in Brooklyn, Hope and Addie leave the city they love to run a diner in rural Wisconsin, finding themselves in a town divided with real problems and corrupt politics.”
Deadline continues, “Hope’s waitressing has taught her to read people and instinct tells her to trust GT Stoop, the owner of the Welcome Stairways Diner, who has just ended chemo treatment for cancer by announcing that he’s running for mayor. It’s a campaign between hope and fear as the teenagers in town have had enough and join the fight. Even without the right to vote at their young age, they have learned they have a voice and what they believe in matters. Hope meets dirty-tricks-politics and the pain of her past head-on in this story about honor, trust, and serving up your very best,” the source summarizes.
“Hope Was Here” was published in 2000 and has been translated in 11 countries, “with the U.S. State Department striking a rare diplomatic partnership to co-sponsor the Russian-language edition in 2009,” Deadline notes. The novel has received the Newbery Honor, which celebrates American children’s literature, and has been named one of the best books for young adults by the American Library Association.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with this team of veteran creatives who share the vision of ‘Hope Was Here’ — the journey of a 16-year-old who is no stranger to hardships and heartaches, yet through humor and heart (and hearty comfort food!), experiences hope that arises amidst all the brokenness,” said Pan. “Young people everywhere should be encouraged to educate themselves by listening and learning despite differences and speaking up for what’s right. We hope this film will inspire them to do so.”
“‘When hope gets released in a place, anything is possible.’ That’s a quote from ‘Hope Was Here.’ I’ve always believed it and it’s one of the reasons I love Hope Yancey, the 16-year-old protagonist of the story — this courageous girl who wears her name like a flag,” Bauer stated. “It’s also why I’m so honored to be working with Bertha Pan and [producer] Derrick Tseng, to bring ‘Hope Was Here’ to the screen. I loved their movie ‘Face’ — the real hope in that story was present in the toughest, most heartbreaking moments.”
Pan previously helmed and produced the intergeneration drama “Face” and rom-com “Almost Perfect.” She received a Gotham Award nod for the former. Her more recent directing credits include an episode of “Queen Sugar” and the short “Lucy in the Sky.”
Bauer has written 14 novels for young readers including, most recently, “Raising Lumie.” Her work has received numerous accolades including the Newbery, the LA Times Book Prize, the Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Prize, and the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award.
