FOX ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS, MORIAH MEDIA, AND GAL GADOT & JARON VARSANO'S PILOT WAVE TEAM UP FOR "DON'T FEED THE LION" SCREEN ADAPTATION

Project Based on Bestselling, Critically Acclaimed Novel by Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi

Simon Wiesenthal Center Will Present Prestigious 2026 Jewish Heritage Award to Golodryga at Ceremony Tonight in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 11, 2026 - FOX Entertainment Studios and Moriah Media are teaming with Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman, Red Notice) and Jaron Varsano's Pilot Wave Motion Pictures on a screen adaptation of Don't Feed the Lion, the acclaimed middle-grade novel by Emmy Award-winning journalist and news anchor Bianna Golodryga and Israeli Channel 12 news anchor Yonit Levi. FOX Entertainment Studios and Moriah Media are partnering to option, develop, and produce the film, with Gadot and Varsano serving as executive producers.

The announcement comes as the Simon Wiesenthal Center will bestow its prestigious Jewish Heritage Award on Golodrya at its 2026 Humanitarian Award Dinner tonight in Los Angeles.

Published by Arcadia Children's Books, Don't Feed the Lion follows Theo Kaplan, a 13-year-old soccer co-captain, his younger sister Annie and their classmate Gabe as their lives are upended when Theo's soccer hero posts an antisemitic message online that goes viral. As the hatred spreads into their Chicago middle school, the young friends must navigate prejudice and peer pressure, seek out allies, and find the courage to speak up.

Set against the backdrop of Friday night Shabbat dinners with Theo and Annie's immigrant grandparents, the story explores cultural identity, moral courage, and the importance of standing up for oneself and others. The title comes from the aphorism "don't feed the lion," which is shared by the children's grandfather as an important reminder not to give fear, panic, or hatred room to grow.

"Don't Feed the Lion brings a difficult subject into focus through characters young audiences can see themselves in and choices they recognize from their own lives," said Fernando Szew, President and Head of Studio, FOX Entertainment Studios. "At FOX Entertainment Studios, we're drawn to stories that entertain, spark conversation, and connect with audiences across generations. Bianna and Yonit have written a powerful, deeply human story, and Gal and Jaron bring tremendous creative vision and passion to the project. Building on our meaningful collaboration with Moriah Media on One Day in October, we're proud to work with this exceptional team to bring it to the screen."

"Stories can reach young people in ways that arguments and headlines often can't," said Jim Berk, CEO of Moriah Media. "Bianna and Yonit have put readers inside the everyday choices that determine whether hate spreads or someone stands up to it. Working with FOX Entertainment Studios, Gal and Jaron, we have an opportunity to bring that experience to a much wider audience through an entertaining, deeply human film. This is exactly the kind of storytelling Moriah Media exists to champion."

"This is a story that feels especially personal to us, both as parents and as a family," said Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano. "We want our children to grow up in a world where differences are respected, where hatred is challenged and where no one feels alone in standing up for what is right. Don't Feed the Lion opens the door to conversations that matter, and we are grateful to be part of bringing it to life."

"We wrote Don't Feed the Lion as two Jewish mothers concerned about the world our children were growing up in. We were alarmed not only by the rise in antisemitism, but by the lack of resources to help children and teens understand and confront it. No child should have to experience hate or feel powerless in the face of it," said Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi. "We are incredibly grateful to FOX Entertainment Studios, Gal Gadot, and Jaron Varsano for immediately connecting with our story, embracing its mission, and recognizing the importance of bringing its message of courage, empathy, and standing up to hate to an even wider audience."

Golodryga is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and former CNN anchor and Senior Global Affairs Analyst, having anchored One World with Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga on CNN International. Levi has anchored Israel's top-rated primetime news program on Channel 12 for more than two decades and is also the co-host of the international podcast Unholy: Two Jews on the News. The authors wrote Don't Feed the Lion in response to questions from their own children about rising antisemitism and the lack of middle-grade fiction addressing the subject.

About Pilot Wave

Founded by Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano, Pilot Wave Motion Pictures is a film and television production company focused on developing and producing compelling stories that inspire, entertain and spark conversation. The company is committed to bringing unique voices and perspectives to the screen, creating projects that explore meaningful themes and connect with audiences around the world. Its projects include Netflix's Heart of Stone, a global espionage action thriller starring Gadot alongside Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt; and National Geographic's Impact with Gal Gadot, a documentary series highlighting extraordinary women making a difference in their communities around the world.

About Moriah Media

Moriah Media is the storytelling arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, dedicated to mission-aligned, narrative-driven entertainment through the development, production and global distribution of feature films, theatrical documentaries, television series and digital shorts. Its work includes the anthology television series One Day in October, currently on HBO Max, and the soon to be released feature film Our Loves, both in partnership with FOX Entertainment Studios, as well as upcoming projects I, Ben Gurion, Blood Brothers and the television series Lost Paradise.

About the Simon Wiesenthal Center

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization dedicated to confronting antisemitism, hate and terrorism, promoting human rights and educating future generations. Through Moriah Media, the SWC brings powerful, authentic narratives to global audiences through film, documentary and multimedia. The Jewish Heritage Award recognizes individuals who proudly embrace their Jewish heritage and use their voice and platform to confront antisemitism, preserve Jewish memory, and deepen understanding of the Jewish experience.

About FOX Entertainment Studios

FOX Entertainment Studios, a division of FOX Entertainment, includes its in-house unscripted studio with hits The Masked Singer, I Can See Your Voice, Name That Tune and the upcoming matrimonial social experiment Marriage Market; and its scripted content studio, featuring comedies Animal Control and Best Medicine, as well as the upcoming comedy Mammoth from the creators of Modern Family and the signature legal drama Katie Greaves from producer Ridley Scott and his Scott Free Productions and starring Edie Falco.

The studio also oversees the award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, with animated comedies, including Krapopolis, Grimsburg, Hazbin Hotel and Universal Basic Guys; entertainment platform TMZ, with its tentpole primetime series TMZ Investigates; its independent film label Tideline Entertainment, with award-winning releases including Ponyboi and Slanted; and the culinary and lifestyle content venture Studio Ramsay Global, in partnership with iconic chef Gordon Ramsay, featuring food-themed original series on FOX such as Next Level Chef, Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service, as well as No Taste Like Home on Disney+, Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars on Apple TV+ and the documentary series Being Gordon Ramsay on Netflix.

As a global content creator and production partner, FOX Entertainment Studios collaborates with studios and platforms worldwide, including Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures Television, Prime Video, Netflix, Apple, Hallmark, Lifetime, Versant, TelevisaUnivision, the UK's Channel 4, France's TF1, Germany's ProSieben, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia's Foxtel and FOX-owned streamer Tubi, among others.

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