If you’re a reader of a certain age, there’s a good chance that Reading Rainbow was a cornerstone of your childhood. The series, which ran for over two decades, had LeVar Burton introduce its young viewers to places, cultures, and experiences they likely hadn’t known much about before. And it also, of course, encouraged kids not only to read, but to love reading.
That legacy is now explored in a documentary called Butterfly in the Sky, which will make its way to theaters soon. We also have a trailer for the feature, which gives us a glimpse of what we’ll see on screen.
Here’s the official synopsis:
For 26 seasons, Reading Rainbow met young viewers in their living rooms, whisking them away on far-off adventures into the boundless world of books. Inspiring and nostalgic, Butterfly in the Sky takes audiences behind the scenes of this beloved PBS children’s series and tells the story of its iconic host LeVar Burton, giving an inside look at the challenges he and the show’s creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television.
The feature, unsurprisingly, includes LeVar Burton. It also has appearances from Whoopi Goldberg, who is an executive producer of the doc, as well as Jason Reynolds (former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature); Reading Rainbow co-creators Twila Liggett, Larry Lancit, Cecily Truett Lancit, and Tony Buttino; Steve Horelick (Reading Rainbow composer); Ed and Orly Wiseman (Reading Rainbow producer-directors); and staff who worked on the show over its 26-year run. It’s produced by Bryan Storkel and, in addition to Goldberg, is executive produced by Tom Leonardis, Bryn Mooser, Justin Lacob, Kathryn Everett, Andy Hsieh, Tony Hsieh, Raymond Esposito, John Brooks Pounders, and Dava Whisenant.
Butterfly in the Sky will run in select AMC theaters on March 17 and March 20, 2024. Click the link here to see if it’s playing at a cinema near you. It will have longer theatrical runs in New York City and other yet-to-be-announced locales, and will be available on digital starting April 30, 2024.
Check out the trailer below.
