''The Great Gilly Hopkins'' is a 2015 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Stephen Herek Stephen Robert Herek (born November 10, 1958) is an American film director. Herek was born in San Antonio, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin. Career His career as a film director took off in 1986 with the cult horror classic ' ...

and written by

David L. Paterson David Lord Paterson (born 1966) is an American screenwriter, actor and producer. In August 1974, Paterson's best friend, eight-year-old Lisa Christina Hill, Lisa Hill, was struck by lightning and killed. His mother, author Katherine Paterson, u ...

. It is based on

Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...

's 1978 children's book of the same name. The film stars

Sophie Nélisse Marie-Sophie Nélisse (born March 27, 2000) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her Genie Award–winning performance in ''Monsieur Lazhar'', as Liesel Meminger in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel ''The Book Thief'', written by ...

Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...

Julia Stiles Julia O'Hara Stiles (born March 28, 1981) is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Stiles began acting at the age of 11 as part of New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Her film debut was a small role in ''I'' ''Love Yo ...

Bill Cobbs William Francisco Cobbs (born June 16, 1934) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in movies such as Louisiana Slim in '' The Hitter'' (1979), Water in ''The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), and as Lewis Coleman on ''I'll Fly Aw ...

Billy Magnussen William Gregory Magnussen (born April 20, 1985) is an American actor. He has been featured in the films ''Into the Woods'' (2014), ''Birth of the Dragon'' (2016), '' Game Night'' (2018), and '' Aladdin'' (2019), and has had supporting television ...

Octavia Spencer Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...

, and

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

. The film was released on October 7, 2016, by

Lionsgate Premiere Lionsgate Premiere is the speciality film division of entertainment company Lionsgate Films that specializes in direct-to-video and direct-to-video on demand. Background On April 1, 2015, Lionsgate confirmed they had launched speciality division ...

Plot

Gilly Hopkins is the meanest girl in town: she has a birth mother she has never seen and has moved from one foster home to another. Learning that she will be sent to a new home, she wastes no time stirring up trouble. Then she meets a woman named Trotter, who wants to be the mother Gilly needs. With Gilly posing a challenge, Trotter must prove a good relationship will benefit both of them.

Cast

as Galadriel ”Gilly” Hopkins *

as Maime Trotter *

as Courtney Rutherford Hopkins * Zachary Hernandez as W.E. (William Ernest) *

as Mr. Randolph *

as Ellis *

as Miss Harris *

as Nonnie Hopkins *

Clare Foley Clare Foley is an American actress. She is known for playing the roles of Ruby Taylor in '' Do No Harm'', Ashley in '' Sinister'', a young version of Piper in '' Orange Is the New Black'' and Ivy Pepper, a version of Pamela Isley in the first tw ...

as Agnes * Sammy Pignalosa as Rajeem *

Toby Turner Toby Joseph Turner (born March 3, 1985), also known by his stage name Tobuscus, is an American Internet personality and actor. Originally from Niceville, Florida, he is best known for his YouTube videos. As of November 5, 2021, Turner has a to ...

as Ticket Agent *

Frank Oz Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...

Cookie Monster Cookie Monster is a blue Muppet character on the long-running PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street.'' In a song in 2004, and later in an interview in 2017, Cookie Monster revealed his real name as "Sid". He is best known for his ...

(voice)

Production

On February 8, 2013, it was announced that

would direct an adaption of ''

The Great Gilly Hopkins ''The Great Gilly Hopkins'' is a realistic children's novel by Katherine Paterson. It was published by Crowell in 1978 and it won the U.S. National Book Award next year.Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...

and

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

set to star in the film. On February 6, 2014,

and

joined the cast of the film. On May 9, 2014,

and

joined the cast of the film. Cobbs replaced Glover, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began on April 9, 2014, and ended on June 15, 2014.

Release

The film premiered on October 6, 2015, at the

SCHLINGEL International Film Festival Schlingel (Usually written: SCHLINGEL) is an international film festival for children and young audiences. The festival began in 1996, and has taken place annually in Chemnitz ever since in the week before the Saxon Fall Break. The festival giv ...

acquired distribution rights, and set the film for an October 7, 2016, release.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Great Gilly Hopkins, The (film) 2015 films American comedy-drama films 2015 comedy-drama films Films directed by Stephen Herek Films scored by Mark Isham Lionsgate films Films based on American novels 2010s English-language films 2010s American films