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Jack the Giant Killer News (Bryan Singer's next film)

Out Of My Vulcan Mind

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Nicholas Hoult has landed the lead role in Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer. Hoult plays Beast in X-Men: First Class, which Singer produced. Alex Pettyfer, Aaron Johnson, and Max Irons were on the short list to play Jack, but Hoult landed it in the end.

Stanley Tucci has been cast as one of the villains, while Bill Nighy and John Kassir will play the two-headed leader of the giants (with Nighy playing the bigger head and Kassir the smaller one).

The film is a New Line/Legenday Pictures co-production with a script by Christopher McQuarrie, Mark Bomback, and Darren Lemke. It's described as "a scary revisionist take on the Jack and the Beanstalk mythology about a farmer who leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom to rescue a kidnapped princess."
 
I really like Nicholas Hoult. He was exemplary in A Single Man and I really liked his supporting performances in About a Boy and The Weather Man. I think he's an excellent choice.
 
So, then, this is a remake of the 1962 film? Or a reworking or re-imagining? Or does it share little in common with the original except the title?
 
I'm interested in this because it seems different than Singer's normal fair. He mostly does dark thrillers or comic-book movies, and this seems to combine the sensibilities of both: the dark nature of his thrillers and the somewhat fantastical nature of his comic-book movies.

I'm curious what attracted Singer to the material, but the fact that Christopher McQuarrie co-wrote the script instills in me a lot of confidence. Plus, the cast is shaping up really nicely.
 
They're based on the same fairy tale.

Uhh, no, they're not, apparently. The quote in the initial post says it's a reworking of Jack and the Beanstalk, but Jack the Giant Killer -- both the original legend and the Kerwin Matthews film -- is an entirely different fairy tale having nothing to do with beanstalks or golden geese or any of that stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Giant_Killer

But then, the initial post gives no attribution for that quotation referencing Beanstalk, so I don't know if it's from an official press release or merely represents some reporter's misconception.
 
But then, the initial post gives no attribution for that quotation referencing Beanstalk, so I don't know if it's from an official press release or merely represents some reporter's misconception.
The description is from Deadline Hollywood's write-up. The film is actually a combination of both fairy tales.
 
Having had a chance to read the script I can probably guess that Singer was attracted to the fairy tale aspect of the story. This is actually right up his alley as a filmmaker and visual storyteller. I've been looking forward to this since it was announced. There is a very human story at the core at this movie which is probably what attracted Bryan to it. I think this will take people by surprise. It isn't really based on the 1962 film. Warner Bros came out and stated that right away. It's been a common misconception from media that it's a remake.
 
Here are the first pics of Ewan McGregor and Eddie Marsen in costume on the set:

JacktheGiantKiller1.jpg


JacktheGiantKiller2.jpg
 
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