Jim Henson Company Assembles Unbelievable Cast For Fantasy Adaptation Over Half-Century In The Making
At this point, everyone has read or watched one of the many iterations of the story of Beowulf. However, The Jim Henson Company will soon be turning that story on its head by presenting the tale from the perspective of the antagonist in the appropriately titled Grendel. The live-action film has already announced a star-studded ensemble cast that will bring the characters of Grendel to life in the movie.
The Incredible Cast
Jeff Bridges will have the honor of playing Grendel himself in the movie. However, he will also be joined by Dave Bautista playing the hero Beowulf, Bryan Cranston playing King Hrothgar, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, Aidan Turner as Unferth, and Sam Elliott as The Dragon.
With every actor involved having the star power to lead in movies and TV shows, the lineup for Grendel already has many people excited even with the movie still in the production stage.
Reuniting Stars With The Director
Robert D. Krzykowski will direct Grendel. His most recent and significant project was the 2018 film The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot, for which he directed, wrote, and produced. This also provided him the opportunity to work with some of the stars he is bringing on for Grendel, namely Sam Elliot and Aidan Turner, who both starred in The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot.
Based On A Classic Novel
The story is an adaptation of the 1971 novel Grendel by John Gardner that Krzykowski is turning into a movie. Regarding what about the book captivated him, Krzykowski said, “Grendel represents everything I love about the movies.
John Gardner’s mad masterpiece cleverly tackles what it is to be human through the wild-eyed lens of a monster. It’s an honor to work with such a remarkable group of storytellers, all of whom seek to bring something wonderful and unexpected to audiences now.”
Creature Designs By Jim Henson Company
It will still be a while before there is any visual component of Grendel to analyze, as the movie will not even start production until later in the year. Thus, details so far are scarce, but it is known that filming will be occurring in parts of Europe. Also, the plan is for at least some of the monsters in the movie to be created using practical effects, as Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has been stated to be handling that matter and the design for the monsters.
Not The First Reimagining Of Beowulf
Of note is that this is not the first adaptation of Grendel, not even in movie form. The story was depicted in an animated form in Grendel Grendel Grendel in 1981. It has also been adapted to the stage in the form of multiple different musicals.
However, this will be the first live-action film made using the story from the novel. Even for moviegoers unfamiliar with the book, the star-packed lineup of the cast will no doubt be a significant motivator for many to check out the film.
Still Awhile Before Grendel Hits Theaters
This early into the production side of things, no release date has been announced for when Grendel will be debuting in movie theaters.
However, as filming progresses and production images and trailers start becoming available, it will no doubt be exciting to see how this cast of such recognizable actors is transformed for their iconic characters. Jeff Bridges, in particular, will no doubt be a sight to behold as the titular monster.
