Lion Forge Entertainment Secures Rights to Best Wishes

Lion Forge Entertainment has secured the rights to Sarah Mlynowski’s best-selling series Best Wishes and will build a multi-picture live-action franchise.

The Best Wishes books each focus on a different girl in a different city. They each receive a mysterious package in the mail containing a magical bracelet and instructions on making a wish. The first film will be based on the first book in the series and written by Eydie Faye (The Slumber Party, Fuller House).

The first Best Wishes book follows 13-year-old Becca Singer, who, on the eve of her Bat Mitzvah in New York City, wishes to be popular. As she grapples with her new popularity and its unforeseen consequences, she also navigates family, middle school and the trials and importance of genuine friendships.

Mlynowski’s first Best Wishes book was published in September 2022 by Scholastic Press. The second book, Best Wishes: The Sister Switch, was co-written with Debbie Rigaud and was published in April 2023. Best Wishes: Time After Third, the third in the series, was co-written by Christina Soontornvat, and came out in November 2023. The fourth, Best Wishes: Like a Boss, is set to be released in November 2024. It was written with Hena Khan.

“We immediately knew we wanted to make these movies because of Sarah’s unique and incredible ability to speak authentically to the tween audience and also because of the diversity of the characters and stories in each book,” said David Steward II, founder and CEO of Lion Forge Entertainment, and Stephanie Sperber, president and chief creative officer. “We love the idea of a series of movies that are aspirational, fun and linked together by a mythology to create a world and a franchise that deal with today’s challenges and themes that are important to families.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with the creative minds at Lion Forge Entertainment,” Mlynowski said. “Eydie Faye’s script perfectly captures the magic of the book series, and I’m beyond excited for the readers of Best Wishes to see these four strong heroines come to life.”