Synopsis

Fern Arable saves Wilbur, the runt of a litter, from being killed and raises him with affection. When Wilbur is moved to a nearby barn and learns that he may be slaughtered, he befriends Charlotte, a wise spider. She spins messages into her web praising Wilbur, hoping to convince the farmer that the pig is extraordinary and deserves to live.

Factoids & Trivia

• The 2006 film is a live-action adaptation of E.B. White's 1952 children's novel and follows Paramount's 1973 animated version.

• Most of the production was filmed in Victoria, Australia, with locations and sets designed to resemble rural Maine. The farms were built in Greendale, while the county fair was filmed on a cricket field in Heidelberg.

• The filmmakers studied E.B. White's papers and archives at Cornell University. That research led to several references to White's life and helped shape the film's visual style.

• The opening scene was adapted from an earlier draft of White's novel, in which Fern sees her father preparing to kill the runt of the litter and intervenes.

• Wilbur was portrayed by 47 different piglets. Because young pigs grow quickly and can generally be trained to perform only one specific action, different animals were used for different shots.

• Although the film features real farm animals, computer effects were added to create talking mouths, expressive eyes, facial movements, and Charlotte's web. Templeton and the crows were created as photorealistic CG characters.

• Tippett Studio designed and animated Templeton, Elwyn, and Brooks. Its work on Templeton received a 2006 Visual Effects Society nomination.

• The names Elwyn and Brooks, given to the two crows, refer to E.B. White's full name, Elwyn Brooks White.

• The fairground scenes were especially complicated because the Australian filming season did not match the story's autumn setting. Nearby trees were sprayed with non-toxic orange and yellow color to suggest fall.

• The production combined live animals, children, animatronics, stunts, and computer animation. Some sequences, including Templeton's journey into his underground lair, were possible only through digital effects.