Watership Down miniseries

[cosmic mouse]

...anyone planning on catching this? I love the original film (and the novel), but haven't seen the late 90s series. I will be checking this new one out for sure. No release date yet per IMDB, but I've read late 2018:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5670764/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watership_Down_(miniseries)

 

[Butters]

...anyone planning on catching this? I love the original film (and the novel), but haven't seen the late 90s series. I will be checking this new one out for sure. No release date yet per IMDB, but I've read late 2018:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5670764/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watership_Down_(miniseries)

I wasn’t aware of this, or the 90s series, though I did read Tales from Watership Down.

Loved the original movie, and The Animals of Farthing Wood, which I see as being connected somehow, but probably isn’t.

 

[Forbin]

What channel (or PPV or streaming service or carrier pigeon) will this be shown on?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I've been waiting for this mini-series for a couple of years now. It's got a killer cast and sounds like it'll be an even more loyal production of the beloved novel than the 1978 film. For some reason, I thought it was suppose to come out late last year (probably because of unsourced claim on Wikipedia), so I'm feeling a little frustrated that we still don't have a release date.

What channel (or PPV or streaming service or carrier pigeon) will this be shown on?

BBC and Netflix.

 

[Forbin]

Excellent.

 

[cosmic mouse]

Loved the original movie, and The Animals of Farthing Wood, which I see as being connected somehow, but probably isn’t.

I had to look up the Farthing Wood show since it's familiar, but I don't think I've seen it. I may try to track it down at some point. As a child one of my favorite books also had a similar theme: Farewell to Shady Glade. I must have checked that book out of the library a billion times, along with all of the other Peet books.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

The novel of Watership Down deals with some deep and dark themes considering that it's about bunnies - degredation of the natural environment, death, and totalitarian regimes. The novel was apparently "sexist" as warrens are apparently matriarchal rather than patriarchal in nature - it being the does rather than bucks that set them up and control them.

 

[cosmic mouse]

a lil' more info on the new series: https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1004267-bbcnetflix-adaptation-of-watership-down

Animation will be done by the outfit that did Frankenweenie and Fantastic Mr Fox...

 

[Forbin]

My deranged brain suddenly started playing Catshit One when I saw the CGI bunnies.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

a lil' more info on the new series: https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1004267-bbcnetflix-adaptation-of-watership-down

Animation will be done by the outfit that did Frankenweenie and Fantastic Mr Fox...

That article doesn't mention it but Peter Capaldi has also joined the cast (but Variety didn't mention the role), making this the second time he's voiced a rabbit this year.

Edit: Strike that. Deadline confirms he's voicing Kehaar, the only non-rabbit character.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

We finally have a trailer:

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...I have to say I'm fairly disappointed in the cheap-looking CGI. I'm still going to watch it for the stellar cast and my love for the novel, but some of my excitement has waned a little.

 

[cosmic mouse]

...I have to say I'm fairly disappointed in the cheap-looking CGI. I'm still going to watch it for the stellar cast and my love for the novel, but some of my excitement has waned a little.

I have to say I agree a bit. This seems to be a common "affliction" with certain animated films these days. I blame computers for taking the touch of the human hand off the artwork... it makes for a more aloof experience anyway.

 

[Marsden]

I hope that's just a sample for the trailer, I can't tell anyone apart. I understand rabbits are brown but the animated movie had them all a bit different, in this they all look the same. Also, Hazel's voice sounds too "big". Hazel was a crafty leader not the biggest rabbit. I'd still like to give it a go and Peter Capaldi being Keehar sounds perfect.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

The series was shown on BBC1 over the weekend. I thought it was a pretty decent adaptation although the CGI animation lacked quality in a number of places. I think I prefer the cell animation of the old movie.

 

[Kor]

I'm not too fond of this CGI look.

Kor

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I finally got the chance to watch it today.

I'm also not a fan of the this particular CGI style but it did slowly grown on me and I was accustomed to it by the end of the third episode. There are a lot of rough parts to it, but it does capture the rabbit's expressions, motions, fur, and particularly the eyes pretty well. However, I still prefer the 1978 film's animation more.

The adaptation of the story is pretty good despite rearranging some of the rabbits' roles in different parts of the stories as well as Strawberry's gender switch (which works pretty well here) and Captain Holly's death (which is unfortunate but understandable). The overall essence of the story is well captured and the voice acting is excellent, with notable shout outs to James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley, and John Boyega. However, it's Peter Capaldi's Kehaar that steals every scene he's in. I could watch a whole movie of the adventures of the sarcastic Scottish seagull.

 

[diankra]

If anyone's confused by the reference to part three, it's four 50 minute episodes, but BBC1 ran it as two 100m double bills (complete with episode titles at 50m in).

 

[Kor]

Is it on Netflix in the US?

Kor

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I liked the

Spoiler

benchmark

tribute to Richard Adams but blink and you'd probably miss it.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I noticed it right away. There's not much text in the mini-series so it stood out to me immediately.

A lovely tribute that felt natural since English benches often have plaque dedications.