Bindi Irwin to Star in Hallmark Channel's Original Movie RETURN TO NIM'S ISLAND, 3/15

Emmy(R) award-winning wildlife enthusiast Bindi Irwin ("Nim's Island," "Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove") returns as Nim, a brave young heroine determined to protect her island and all the wildlife that call it home, in RETURN TO NIM'S ISLAND, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere Friday, March 15 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"Return to Nim's Island" kicks off Hallmark Channel's new appointment viewing franchise, "Walmart and P&G present Walden Family Theater," created by Walmart, P&G, award-winning family entertainment producer, Walden Media, and fast-growing independent studio, ARC Entertainment. Starring alongside Irwin are Matthew Lillard ("The Descendants," "Scream"), Toby Wallace ("Neighbours") and Nathan Derrick ("Neighbours") in the sequel to the family action-adventure box office hit, "Nim's Island" and based on the Novel Nim at Sea by Australian Author Wendy Orr.

When Nim (Irwin) and her father Jack (Lillard) discover that resort developers plan to buy Nim's Island, they know they must protect the endangered wildlife that inhabit it. Nim embarks on an adventure that pits her and her animal allies against resort developers and animal poachers. With such strong opposing forces working against her in this adventure, Nim realizes she can't depend on her animal cohorts alone and relies on her first human friend, Edmund (Wallace), to help save her home. Together with Jack's intern, Felix (Derrick), Nim and Edmund work together to try and defeat the developers and save the beloved island and its endangered species.

"Return to Nim's Island" is a Mazur Kaplan Company / Pictures in Paradise Production presented by Arc Entertainment, Walden Media, WalMart and Procter & Gamble. Louis J. Grieci III, Clint McClain, Janet M. Morrison, Aaron Tucker, Jim Bechtold, Trevor Drinkwater, Brad Liebow and Brian Wells are executive producers. Paula Mazur, Chris Brown and Tom Hoffie are the producers. Brendan Maher directed from a script by Cathy Randall. Based on the novel Nim at Sea by Australian author Wendy Orr.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of over 87 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, Frasier, Little House on the Prairie, and Happy Days. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot, and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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