This is from the Edmonton Journal:
Green Gables creators search for Anne
Elizabeth Withey, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Wednesday, July 25
EDMONTON—The creators of award-winning mini-series Anne of Green Gables are in Edmonton today on their nation-wide talent search for a girl to play the fiery red-haired orphan in a prequel.
Filmmaker Kevin Sullivan wrote original story about Anne Shirley’s childhood life before she went to live with the Cuthberts on Prince Edward Island. Sullivan’s story predates the events in Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel.
Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning will tell the story of Anne’s biological family and how she ended up in an orphanage.
The mystery will unfold when Anne finds a secret letter in the floorboards at Green Gables more than 50 years after she went to live there.
The film is set at the turn of the 20th century but is bookended by scenes of Anne as a woman in her sixties. In the story, her husband Gilbert died at the end of World War Two and her three children are far away, pre-occupied with families of their own. Anne has almost completely lost touch with her adopted son, Dominic, who is living in France.
Sullivan Entertainment will travel to seven Canadian cities to conduct auditions for girl between the ages of 10 to 12.
They are also conducting an extensive casting call on YouTube at www.youtube.com/group/screentest.
Anne of Green Gables (1985) won an Emmy and starred Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst. After the mini-series was broadcast, tourism on P.E.I. rose by 30 per cent.