Super-director, Spike Jonze(Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has a new film out called Where The Wild Things Are, adapted from an award-winning 1963 children’s picture book of the same name by Maurice Sendak. From Wikipedia;
The film concerns the imaginary adventures of a young boy named Max, who is angry when his mother, Connie, invites her boyfriend over. After causing one mischievous antic after another, he is sent to his room without supper. Feeling angry and unloved, he then creates a forest bordering a massive ocean, and sails away to an island inhabited by many large imaginary monsters called the Wild Things, who crown him as their ruler.
Featuring first time actor Max Records(cool name, huh?) as Max, and Chris Cooper(Adaptation), James Gandolfini(The Sopranos), Catherine O’Hara(Penelope), Forest Whitaker(Vantage Point) doing voice over for the Wild Things. The monsters featured actors in nine feet tall foam suit with a CGI and animatronics head made by The Jim Henson Company, famous for The Muppet Show and Sesame Street.
The trailer looks awesome and feels like any of Jonze’s out-of-this-world works. Combined with The Jim Henson Company animatronics/puppet prowess, the dark fantasy mood reminds me of their 1982’s The Dark Crystal.
Much has been said about the book as being a classic children’s literature and all time favorite for generations who owns it. One of the reason’s being Sendak’s beautiful and detailed illustrations. It’s even mind-boggling knowing how Jonze’s could turn a ten sentences long book into a whole feature!
Maurice Sendak's 1963 'Where The Wild Things Are'
The $80 million film took 3 years to make and was supposed to be released last October, but Jonze being a perfectionist, wants to tweak it some more and will release it this Fall.
Read Jonze’s comprehensive interview about the film with Ain’t It Cool News here. More info soon at the film’s official website.
P/S: I’m currently looking for the book here in KL. If anybody found/has it, drop me a comment! (UPDATED 10/04/09: Bought the only copy left at Borders last week at The Curve for RM68! It is a classic and the illustrations are awesome! Will upload some pics soon.)
Max "hanging" with Jonze
Poster, trailer, photos © Warner Bros. Illustration © Maurice Sendak.
that’s gonna be an excellent movie
check out my blog sometime
i really hope so!
no prob, what’s yur url?
Oh my god, awesome nye!! Tak sabar nak tengok. Somehow it reminds me of “Never Ending Story”.
kan? hihihi tak saba nak tgk!
i loved this book as a child, and the movie looks really wondeful!!
ya man, i just bought it the other day from borders the curve for rm68! i’m loving the illustrations! let’s just hope the film turns out well too!