| Jack the Giant Killer | |
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| Directed by | Bryan Singer |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | Jack the Giant Killer |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Ottman |
| Cinematography | Newton Thomas Sigel |
| Editing by | John Ottman |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | June 15, 2012 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Jack the Giant Killer is an upcoming fantasy / adventure film based on the fairy tale of the same name. The film is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Nicholas Hoult as the titular hero with a screenplay written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney. The film is scheduled to be released on June 15, 2012.[1]
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An ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.[2]
It’s a very traditional fairytale, probably the most traditional thing I’ve ever done. But it’ll also be a fun twist on the notion of how these tales are told... Fairytales are often borne of socio-political commentary and translated into stories for children. But what if they were based on something that really happened?.. What if we look back at the story that inspired the story that you read to your kids? That’s kind of what this movie’s about.
In January 2009, New Line Cinema hired D.J. Caruso to direct Jack the Giant Killer which is described as an adult look at the Jack and the Beanstalk legend. The script was written by Darren Lemke and subsequently rewritten by Mark Bomback.[11] By August 2009 it was being reported that Bryan Singer might be replacing Caruso and became official in September 2009.[12][13]
In April 2010, Singer re-teamed with screenwriter, Christopher McQuarrie to rework the screenplay. Singer and McQuarrie have previously collaborated on Public Access, The Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil and Valkyrie.[14] Singer stated, "Chris McQuarrie did a significant re-write for me. He brought a different structure. It was very much a page-one situation; a different storyline. It involved the same characters, but some we juggled around and switched around. He just brought a very different perspective".[15]
In May 2010 it was reported that production of the film would be delayed until February 2011. The report cited Singer's interest in being able to pre-visualize scenes with the digital giants in-camera with the live-action actors (a la James Cameron's Avatar) and the need for more time to work out the complex process as reasons for the delay.[16]
In October 2010, New Line gave Bryan Singer the green-light to begin pre-production work on Jack the Giant Killer with production scheduled to begin the following spring.[17] In November 2010 Singer began screen testing for the male and female leads. Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Hoult and Aneurin Barnard were up for the young farmer role and Adelaide Kane, Lily Collins and Juno Temple were testing for the part of the princess.[4]
In December 2010 Singer that, "I’m very much looking forward to using the EPIC Red for my next movie Jack the Giant Killer which will be shot in, what else, 3D. The camera’s incredibly compact size and extraordinary resolution are ideal for the 3D format. But more importantly Jack the Giant Killer is my first movie set in a time before electricity. The EPIC’s extraordinary exposure latitude will allow me to more effectively explore the use of natural light".[18]
In February 2011, it was reported that Stanley Tucci had been cast as the villain, an adviser to the king with designs on usurping power. Also included in the report was news that Bill Nighy and John Kassir will play Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants; Nighy gets to play the big head while Kassir will play the small head.[6] Also in February, Nicholas Hoult was offered the lead role.[3] Singer stated that he liked him since Skins and was very supportive of his casting in X-Men: First Class.[15] Later in the same month, Ewan McGregor joined the cast as the leader of the king’s elite guard, who helps fight giants.[8]
In March 2011, Eleanor Tomlinson was cast opposite Nicholas Hoult as the princess.[5] Also in March, Ian McShane was cast to play the princess' father, King Brahmwell.[7] Two days later New Line and Warner Bros. announced a release date of June 15, 2012.[1]
Principal photography began on April 12, 2011 in the British countryside.[9] In May 2011, production moved to Somerset, England for two weeks with filming scheduled in Wells, Cheddar and secret locations in the county including scenes filmed at Wells Cathedral.[19] Also in May, scenes were shot at Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean near Coleford, Gloucestershire. Puzzlewood, which features unusual tree and rock formations has previously been used for filming of the BBC TV series Doctor Who and Merlin. The same forest is said to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien to write The Hobbit.[20] Later in the same month, filming took place at Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk.[21]
About the performance-capture process Singer stated, "It's fascinating... It takes you back to play-acting as a kid in your living room because you are running around and having to imagine that you are in Gantua and imagine that there are these weapons and all these giant things. But there's nothing when you are there other than styrofoam and blocks. It forces the actors to regress to when they would play-act as kids or do minimalist theatre. But in that way it's fascinating - I can see why Robert Zemeckis and James Cameron have started to shoot pictures this way".[15]
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