Earlier this year, we got word that a new live-action take on the tale of Beowulf is in development with an all-star cast on board. We've seen a number of animated and live-action adaptations of the ancient Danish legend over the years, but this one will be a little different.
Based on John Gardner’s acclaimed novel, Grendel will tell the story from the perspective of the monster, with Jeff Bridges (Iron Man, Tron) set to provide the voice of the title character, and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049) on board as the mighty warrior who comes to Danish King Hrothgar's hall to put an end to the creature's rampage, Beowulf.
Now, Collider has unveiled our first look at the design for Grendel courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
“That is really exciting because it also balances this very cerebral world that Grendel lives in, where he's trying to understand humans, and he's trying to find his place among them, and he can never quite figure out how to get the right pieces in the right order to be satisfied," director Robert D. Krzykowsk (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot) explains. "I think that there's something really interesting about that. As you move through this, there's a great warning in the way that Grendel engages with the world, and I know Jeff Bridges and I have talked about that a lot, the moral purpose of this, and I think that it leaves the audience with something really meaningful to talk about when they leave a story like this.”
This take on the character appears to be more influenced by later interpretations than the humanoid sceadugenga, or "shadow walker," described in the original tale.
The cast also includes Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will also appear, and provide original songs for the film.
Palisades Park Pictures is set to launch sales at Cannes for the project, which is described as the “tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story.”
Brian Henson and Vince Raisa will produce for The Jim Henson Company, along with Krzykowski, Jay Glazer, Dennis Berardi and Jon D. Wagner. Bridges will exec produce, with John Sayles, Tamara Birkemoe, and Joe Jenckes of Ashland Hill Media Finance, which will finance the movie.
“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,” said Krzykowski when the project was announced. “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.”
Arguably the best-known take on this story is the 2007 animated adaptation starring Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. You can check out the trailer below.
"Grendel is a 1971 novel by the American author John Gardner. It is a retelling of part of the Old English poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel. In the novel, Grendel is portrayed as an antihero. The novel deals with finding meaning in the world, the power of literature and myth, and the nature of good and evil."