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The bestseller book “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” for young adults from author Jeff Kinney isn’t just a journal anymore, it is now a movie! “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon), who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone’s life….middle school along with his all-time best friend Rowley (Robert Capron).

In order to survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can’t-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he’s getting it all down on paper, via a diary – “it’s NOT a diary, it’s a journal!” Greg insists, preferring the less-sissyfied designation – filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. “One day when I’m famous,” writes Greg, “I’ll have better things to do than answer peoples’ stupid questions all day.”  So was born the Wimpy Kid’s diary.

In all of Greg’s journal pages is his omnipresent best friend Rowley who had been with him since the beginning of their milk teeth days.  Kinney’s book provided all the essential ingredients for the film, but its episodic nature – it’s a diary (journal!), after all – necessitated that the filmmakers come up with a stronger narrative drive.  So they focused on the friendship between Greg and Rowley Jefferson.  Having known each other since elementary school, Greg and Rowley are connected by their shared experiences. On the other hand, they’re polar opposites: Greg is battle-weary and hyper-ambitious.  He has a harsh view of the world, yet is optimistic about his ability to work the system to his advantage. Rowley is the omega to Greg’s alpha – and happily so, at least to a point. He’s an innocent kid without an agenda, whereas Greg is all agenda.

The character of Rowley is one of the most popular among the book’s fans, including the filmmakers.  “He’s certainly one of my favorites,” admits Jeff Kinney.  “Rowley just wants to enjoy the world and his school experience.” Adds film producer Nina Jacobson: “We all love Rowley’s humor and innocence and freshness. One of my favorite Greg-Rowley exchanges is when Rowley tells his friend that ‘My mom told me that people will like me if I am just myself.’  To which Greg responds, ‘Well, that would be good advice, if you were someone else.’ That pretty much sums up their dynamic.  Greg feels that Rowley has to be molded, improved, shaped and finessed, but Rowley’s pretty comfortable in his own skin – and that ends up translating into something that looks a lot like confidence.  And confidence is the key to surviving middle school.”

Robert Capron, as Greg’s best pal Rowley, was cast before Zachary Gordon.  “There weren’t many (would-be) Rowleys,” says Nina Jacobson. “Robert was Rowley.  In his first audition, he was Rowley.”  But Capron, too, had an unusual journey to Wimpy-dom.  Once attached to the project, he participated in three different screen tests with six different “Gregs.”

At age eight, Robert, who hails from Rhode Island, began to take after-school acting classes at the Trinity Repertory Company.  He enjoyed the classes, and after auditioning for a role in “A Christmas Carol,” Robert knew he wanted to pursue and acting career.

Robert appeared in several Trinity productions before landing a small role in director Lasse Hallstrom’s motion picture drama “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen. His first speaking role was in “Bride Wars,” starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.

Robert loves reading, especially American History, the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and James Bond book series, mysteries, ghost stories, and Spider-Man comics.  He also enjoys writing stories and in the course of filming DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Robert wrote his first film treatment.

After finishing DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Robert began his first year of middle school.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is just a few nights’ sleep away – opens April 3 (Saturday) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The best-selling book series “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney which won at the recent Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards over the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series is now a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox.

From the pages of the best-selling book series, the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movie reels on Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon) thinking middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented.  For him, middle school is filled with oodles of morons and worst, bullies. As Greg tries to survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, he devises an endless series of his daily mischief by penning it on paper.  His diary as his mother calls it and that which Greg prefers to be called journal is filled with his ideas, judgment and stories of family and school ordeals that serves as his gateway for magnified emotions and ideals of a teen trying to fit in and prove something.

Zachary Gordon who plays the titular role of the wimpy kid Greg Heffley has notably appeared in  “Four Christmases” with Vince Vaugh and Reese Witherspoon and “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” along with Nicolas Cage.  He also lent his voice in “Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa” as the voice of Baby Melman.  His other film credits include “The Brothers Bloom,” “Lower Learning,” “Sex and Death 101” and “Georgia Rule.”

With his first starring role in “Diary of A Wimpy Kid,” Zachary enthusiastically related to Anthony Breznican of USA Today about how they tried to prep his look – “This was amazing, because I had to get tons and tons of haircuts. “They had to get it just perfect. They were looking at the book and looking at my hair, and trying to make three sprigs in the back stand up. His costume also doesn’t have much wiggle room to imitate the slender stick character. They put on short and really tight clothes, like these skinny jeans. I had to wear them around town to get used to them.”

Jeff Kinney also serves as a consultant all throughout the movie’s production.  He defines his anti-hero, Greg as a “deeply flawed character but likeable.”  During the course of the production, Kinney stresses the importance of preserving Greg’s voice, which he characterizes as a balance of cockiness and powerlessness.  “I pushed for him to be a likeable jerk. One of my favorite things is Greg doesn’t learn his lesson all the time,’ explains Kinney.

Greg “is pretty lazy, so I have to act like that,” Zachary continues. “I have to act competitive and really self-centered. By reading the books and thinking about Greg … he always thinks everything revolves around him. He thinks the world is just about him.”

While some are raising their eyebrows on Greg’s character, Zachary has just but a few words of (youngster’s) wisdom to enlighten the cynical: “Everybody has Greg inside him. Their worst parts are him. That’s how they relate to him, and he also has a little bit of a conscience, in some ways.”

The movie is directed by Thor Freudenthal whose credits include the kiddie films “Hotel for Dogs,” “The Haunted Mansion” and “Stuart Litte 1 and 2.”  It also stars an outrageous cast of comedic talents Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris, Chole Grace Moretz, Devon Bostick and Robert Capron.

“Diary of A Wimpy Kid” opens April 3 (Black Saturday) in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.