Kevin Sullivan Introduction

Anne of Green Gables remains beloved by legions of readers all around the world who fell under the spell of L.M. Montgomery’s magical novel, from the moment they opened the very first page. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the creation of this remarkable character I wanted to add to the trilogy of movies I created, by telling a story that would offer a rare insight into Anne’s personality. Montgomery herself offered only snippets of Anne’s early life. In trying to expand the story around Anne’s early years I also tried to imagine what might have happened if Anne had grown up to become an author, like Montgomery herself. Lucy Maud was a gifted storyteller who was haunted all her life by her own childhood; a girl who had experienced the death of her mother at a young age and a poignant, lifelong estrangement from her father. Anne of Green Gables was born in the imagination of Lucy Maud Montgomery out of the intense loneliness she experienced growing up. Anne became her true alter-ego. Montgomery’s own journey through life as a writer became the inspiration for this original story that has allowed me to bring Anne Shirley back to the screen again; this time with some extraordinary revelations.
In this expansive new movie, which is both a prequel and a sequel to the original films, audiences will learn about the foundations of Anne’s childhood that shaped her life and haunted her in later years: the origins of her carpet bag, the source of her expression, kindred spirits, the development of her intense imagination as a means of survival; and most profoundly, many of the relationships with adults and peers that structured her character so distinctively, prior to her arrival at Green Gables.
The production team that crafted this film was both inspired and passionate about breathing real life into a cast of characters, both old and new, in order to bring Anne’s world back to the screen with authenticity. Our hope is that as you peruse the cast and crew interviews and enjoy the wealth of imagery, you will be swept up once again into a world inspired by L.M. Montgomery and in her creation of one of fiction’s most extraordinary characters.