More than in years past, 2007 was a huge year for not only Anne and RTA alumni, it was also a big year for fans as well, particularly for fans of Anne.

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Anne 4 or Bust!
In the summer of 2007, Kevin Sullivan announced that a fourth Anne film would be made, seven years after the third installment aired and disappointed many fans, not to mention months after it was announced that a prequel novel centring on Anne’s life before moving to Green Gables would be published with approval from the Heirs of LM Montgomery. It was further made known that Sullivan’s film would also be a prequel, and a new Anne would be cast.

After an open casting call, where hundreds of young hopefuls posted videos on YouTube and countless more sent their auditions in through the mail, the new Anne was selected: Hannah Endicott-Douglas. Later, plot details were released: Fifty years after Anne (Barbara Hershey, supplanting Megan Follows, much to many fans’ chagrin) moves to Green Gables, she finds a letter in Green Gables’ floor boards, and ends up revisiting her past shortly after Gilbert’s death, and as Dominic has moved to France. The final product will air in early 2008 on CTV in Canada; it is still unknown as to whether or not it will air in the United States.

A shift in broadcast rights
In October, it was announced that not only had CTV snagged Canadian broadcast rights for the fourth Anne film, it picked up the rights to the first three miniseries, as well as Road to Avonlea (and Happy Christmas, Miss King/An Avonlea Christmas) and Sullivan’s adaptation of The Magic Flute. The Anne and RTA catalogue’s previous Canadian broadcast home was CBC.

While there is no airdate for The Magic Flute, Road to Avonlea is rumoured to start airing on CTV in the new year.

Away from Her blows more people away
Sarah Polley’s feature-length directorial debut continued to make festival rounds in early 2007, starting with the Sundance Festival. In May, it received its commercial release to much praise, acclaim, and awards, along with placement on many critics’ end-of-year “best” lists. Star Julie Christie was also lauded for her performance as Fiona, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Dramatic Film.

With Genie nominations to be announced soon, it may receive even more accolades; and Julie Christie is rumoured to have a good chance at receiving an Oscar nomination when the time comes.

Top Girls and Drowsy Chaperones? Oh my!
Theatre was quite kind to both Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie in 2007.

In the summer of 2007, Top Girls (featuring Megan) was mounted for Soulpepper to much critical acclaim — so much so, that its run was extended. It will also be remounted in the fall/early winter of 2008 with its 2007 cast.

In March, Jonathan Crombie spent a month-long stint in Broadway’s mounting of The Drowsy Chaperone as the “Man in Chair”. Seven months later, he took the Chair again when the show went on tour. While the Broadway production is shutting down, the touring production, which is going strong, is slated to end in July 2008 in Los Angeles.

Strike! (But not for long.)
The beginning of the year saw ACTRA — the union representing Canadian actors — go on strike across the country to demand fair payment for electronic rights against the CFTPA — the union representing Canadian producers. It lasted from January 8 until Februrary 21, costing Toronto $400 million in production revenue. In 2009, actors and producers will re-negotiate on the issue of new media.

Meet the third AvCon, a little different from the first two
AvCon 2007 took place in Toronto at the end of July, with its biggest turnout to date. The event saw a filming sites tour (including one of the Sullivan backlot); appearances by cast members Michael Mahonen, Ian Clark (Simon Tremayne), and James O’Regan (Constable Jeffries), and author Kevin McCabe (The L.M. Montgomery Album); and a presentation by Kevin Sullivan emceed by Mag Ruffman. $4700 was raised in an auction benefitting the Royal Ontario Museum.

Other items, month-by-month (including various and sundry overlooked bits)
January: Actress Charmion King (Aunt Josephine) passed away at the age of 81. Short film Snapshots for Henry (featuring Molly Atkinson) is nominated for a Genie.

February: Restoration of LMM’s manse in Leaskdale began.

March: Broadcast rights to Booky Makes Her Mark (featuring Megan Follows and Lally Cadeau) were sold to television stations in the UK, Ireland, Israel, and the Netherlands.

April: The Stratford Festival announced David Fox would take over for actor William Hutt in their production of A Delicate Balance, which was mounted that summer. (William Hutt passed away in July.) Sarah Polley became the only North American representative on the jury for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

May: The Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival gave a special 30th anniversary screening of Who Has Seen the Wind, based on the novel by the late W.O. Mitchell (former RTA guest star), which featured several RTA alumni in its cast.

June: Sarah began filming the film Mr. Nobody, due out sometime in 2008.

July: Molly Atkinson took the stage during the Summerworks Festival in a production of Mexico City (teamed up with Yogyakarta). The short film Homecoming, starring Zach Bennett, screened at the Montreal Film Festival. The TV movie Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy — featuring Lally Cadeau — received an Emmy nomination for Best Made for Television Movie.

August: We mourned the losses of Anne musical co-creator Elaine Campbell (age 82) and actor Keith Knight (Reverend Fitzsimmons; age 51). It was also announced the musical Anne and Gilbert would be going on tour in 2008. Megan Follows and husband/partner Stuart Hughes were nominated for Geminis for their roles in Booky Makes Her Mark; Sarah Polley was also nominated for her recurring role in the final season of Slings and Arrows. Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming (featuring Zach B.) aired on Sci-Fi in the States.

October: Sarah was named as a cast member for the Vincenzo Natali film Splice. Filming would begin in December.

December: Zach B’s band, Yonder, released their debut LP Skywalk to Crescent Town over the internet. A regular CD release party will take place in Toronto in late February.