{
  "id": 19570854,
  "title": "Gal Gadot to adapt children's novel 'Don't Feed the Lion' about antisemitism into film",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/gal-gadot-to-adapt-childrens-novel-dont-feed-the-lion-about",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-11T23:33:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-914630"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gal Gadot and her husband Jaron Varsano are collaborating with FOX Entertainment Studios and Moriah Media to adapt the children's novel \"Don't Feed the Lion\" into a film. The novel, written by broadcast journalists Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi, tackles the issue of antisemitism from the perspective of a 13-year-old Jewish boy, Theo Kaplan, living in Chicago.\n\nTheo faces prejudice and peer pressure when his soccer idol posts an antisemitic message online that goes viral. Alongside his younger sister Annie and their classmate Gabe, a Korean-American, Theo must navigate discrimination, find support, and decide how to stand up against hatred. The story also centers around Friday-night Shabbat dinners with Theo and Annie's grandparents, highlighting the impact of their grandfather's advice not to \"feed the lion\" by allowing fear, panic, or hatred to grow.\n\nGolodryga and Levi, who are both Jewish mothers, wrote \"Don't Feed the Lion\" in response to the growing antisemitism they noticed in the U.S. and the limited resources available to help children and teens understand and confront it. The book was published by Arcadia Children's Books and follows a storyline that resonates with young audiences through relatable characters and experiences.\n\nGolodryga and Levi expressed gratitude to FOX Entertainment Studios, Gal Gadot, and Jaron Varsano for embracing the story's mission and prioritizing its message of courage, empathy, and resistance to hate. They believe the film adaptation will reach a wider audience, further spreading the story's valuable lessons on standing up for what is right and embracing differences.\n\nThe collaboration between the creators of \"Don't Feed the Lion\" and FOX Entertainment Studios marks an important step in addressing the rising antisemitism in the U.S. and sparking important conversations among young people.",
  "summary": "Gal Gadot will executive produce an adaptation of the young adult novel \"Don’t Feed the Lion.\" The project is a partnership between Fox Entertainment Studios and Moriah Media, with Jaron Varsano also serving as an executive producer through Pilot Wave Motion Pictures. The book was written by journalist Bianna Golodryga and news anchor Yonit Levi.\n\nAccording to TheWrap, the story follows 13-year-old Theo Kaplan, his sister Annie, and their classmate Gabe in Chicago. Their lives are disrupted when a soccer hero's antisemitic message goes viral, leading to prejudice within their middle school. The narrative explores themes of cultural identity and moral courage, set against the backdrop of Shabbat dinners with immigrant grandparents. The title is derived from an aphorism shared by the characters' grandfather regarding not giving room to fear, panic, or hatred.\n\nIn a joint statement, Gadot and her husband and producing partner, Jaron Varsano, noted that the story feels especially personal to them both as a family and as parents, according to the Jerusalem Post.",
  "key_points": [
    "Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano adapting children's novel \"Don't Feed the Lion\" into a film.",
    "Novel \"Don't Feed the Lion\" tackles antisemitism through 13-year-old Theo Kaplan's perspective.",
    "Authors Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi wrote book to address growing antisemitism in U.S."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/19570854.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "Gal Gadot Producing With Eye To Star In Adaptation Of Bianna Golodryga & Yonit Levi’s Book ‘Don’t Feed The Lion’ In Works At Fox Entertainment Studios",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/gal-gadot-producing-with-eye-to-star-in-adaptation-of-bianna",
        "published": "2026-11-11T18:25:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TheWrap",
        "title": "Gal Gadot to Adapt Bianna Golodryga’s Jewish YA Novel ‘Don’t Feed the Lion’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/gal-gadot-to-adapt-bianna-golodrygas-jewish-ya-novel-dont-feed-the",
        "published": "2026-11-11T19:57:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}