Todd teams up with husband and daughter for family sports film
Note: We are especially pleased to feature Hallie Todd in this article in honor of Mother’s Day. Hallie is a true Mother’s Day hero, meaning she, in some way in her public life, provides a wonderful example of what a dedicated Christian mom looks like. I especially love how she has partnered with her family–her husband and her daughter–in her career by producing something together as a family, which you will read more about below. That kind of family collaboration in the entertainment industry is rare these days, and it’s wonderful to see.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Actress Hallie Todd (“Top Ten TV Moms”, CNN Entertainment) has been cast in The Last Champion, which is currently in pre-production at In House Media Film Partners.
Todd is best known for her role as Lizzie’s mom, Jo McGuire, on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire and The Lizzie McGuire Movie. This summer, she can be seen starring in Universal’s American Girl: Lea to the Rescue.
Todd will executive produce and perform in The Last Champion, a coming-of-age, inspirational family sports drama. Her husband, Glenn Withrow, is set to direct the project. Withrow and Todd co-wrote the screenplay along with their daughter, Ivy Withrow, who also serves as VP of Development for the company.
In House Media Film Partners was born when Todd and Withrow were inspired to create a family production company after Withrow’s experiences working with Francis Coppola on five films, starting with The Outsiders. “The times I had on set with Francis were like master classes in directing with one of America’s finest filmmakers,” says Withrow. Inspired by how Coppola involved his family on his film projects, Withrow now collaborates with his wife and daughter. This is the family’s second feature film working together as a creative producing team.
Navigating the waters of the entertainment industry runs deep with this family. Born in Los Angeles, Todd is the daughter of character actress Ann Guilbert (The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Nanny, Getting On) and producer/writer George Eckstein (The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Duel). Now with daughter Ivy, their third generation is adding to this family’s legacy.
“Balancing our personal and our professional relationships with each other is definitely tricky at times, but I can’t imagine not sharing this work with them. We’ve loved and shared all different genres of movies, but we have always been especially moved by films with great underdog characters,” says Todd. “As a team of filmmakers, we wanted to write something that other families could watch and enjoy together, the type of family-night movie that has become harder to find in recent years.”
The film is scheduled to start shooting in November in Washington State. For more information, visit http://www.thelastchampionmovie.com.
