Anne of Green Gables (1985 film) resistant to cast an American as a Canadian icon. Schuyler Grant ended up playing Anne's best friend, Diana, and Anne Shirley was ultimately played by Megan Follows. In her first audition, Megan Follows came highly recommended. But, she was quickly dismissed by Kevin Sullivan. For her second audition, after a turbulent morning leading up to her audition, a frantic Megan made a much better impression and was given the role. "Anne of Green Gables" is the first film in a series of four based on the titular character. In 1987, the film's sequel, "Anne of Avonlea", was released. (It was
Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning is a 2008 Canadian television miniseries, the fourth and final film in Sullivan Entertainment's "Anne of Green Gables" series. It was released in 2008 on CTV. Before the broadcast, CTV had recently acquired the rights to the entire Anne catalogue including the 1985 miniseries. The film stars 14-year-old Hannah Endicott-Douglas as the child and Barbara Hershey as the adult Anne Shirley. Shirley MacLaine plays matriarch Amelia Thomas in the film. Kevin Sullivan wrote a completely new screenplay for the three-hour movie based on Montgomery's characters (serving