It’s not often that we learn plenty about a major upcoming big-screen project before it’s even begun shooting, but that’s the case with Grendel, a live-action retelling of the Old English epic Beowulf, adapted from John Gardner’s 1971 novel of the same name by Robert D. Krzykowski (director of the wonderfully-named The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot).
The Hollywood Reporter shared an interview with the writer-director, and it contains a number of highlights, including talk about a cast which includes “Jeff Bridges as the titular monster, Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Dave Bautista as the warrior Beowulf, and T Bone Burnett as the blind, harp-playing Shaper.”
Filming, if nothing changes, is set to start in Europe next year, and “Palisades Park Pictures is handling international sales” as it looks for distribution. With such an enticing cast and premise, chances are it’ll be picked up sooner rather than later. Moreover, the legendary Jim Henson Company is working on the practical effects and creature designs, with the titular Grendel at the center (see the featured image above).
“[Jeff] talked a lot about the yin and the yang of every person and that Grendel, he’s really a character in conflict, and I think that he found that really interesting. [Grendel] ends up tipping into a place where he can’t quite save himself, and we all see that as an interesting warning when you’re dealing with a monster,” teased Krzykowski about the main character and the veteran actor behind him. This late into his astounding career, there’s nothing Bridges can’t do, and I personally can’t wait to see and hear what he’s done with this complicated monster of legend.
It appears that, much like in the novel, Grendel will be the narrator: “Grendel is, of course, an untrustworthy narrator, and we’re seeing everything through his perspective. So he talks to us, he narrates, we hear his thoughts,” said the writer-director. Apparently, this approach to the narration will also include him imagining situations where he’s part of Hrothgar’s kingdom “so it brings a closeness to it.”
The practical approach to Grendel won’t be the only ‘old school’ thing about it either. “Probably about a fourth or a fifth of the movie will be on stages. Very, very handmade, very fantasy-driven,” Krzykowski promised, also bringing up a comparison to Ridley Scott’s Legend. As for the rating, it’ll be PG-13, so don’t expect tons of gore and blood even when things get violent.
“I think we’re all not angry people, but we all needed an outlet, and Grendel has provided this outlet. He’s an angry, cynical, deep thinker trying to function within a world and can’t figure out how,” the filmmaker explained about the dark figure, who may be a more relevant today than back in 2007, when Robert Zemeckis tackled Beowulf. That divisive movie has gained a cult following over the years. Will this take on the epic fare better from the get-go? We definitely hope so.
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