Register  |   Log In  |  
Sign up to our weekly newsletter    
Search   
Empire Magazine and iPad
Follow Me on Pinterest
Empire
Trending On Empire
Two free posters with Empire magazine
Subscribe: Get Dead Island: Riptide
Empire's Soundtrack Celebration
90 Years Of Warner Bros.
Your chance to win a Blu-ray every day!
Cannes Film Festival 2013
News, photos and more from the Croisette
Movie News

LATEST HEADLINES
YESTERDAY
Steven Spielberg Producing Halo TV Series
For XBox Live
Latest Lone Ranger Trailer Rides In
'I'd rather be an outlaw...'
Two New Posters For The World's End Crash Online
Prepare to get annihilated
New Poster For The Deep
Stuck between the ocean and a lava field
Brand New Wolverine Trailer Arrives Online
Now with added Jean Grey (and snake tongues)
New-Look Dial M For Murder 3D Poster
Murder most immersive!
New A Field In England Trailer Online
And a poster for the Cavaliering caper
Cannes 2013: Inside Llewyn Davis Premiere Report
The Coens and company do the red carpet thing
New Only Lovers Left Alive Pics Online
Plus Jim Jarmusch director's statement
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance Gets Remake
English-language redo for Park Chan-wook's thriller
Seth MacFarlane Won't Host Oscars 2014
Hollywood's boobs breathe a sigh of relief
Team Hobbit Is Back At Work
Peter Jackson posts new picture
New Man Of Steel Character Posters Online
Supes and co. lead off the image march
Bryan Singer Tweets Mystique Pic
Forget Blue Steel. This is blue vengeance...
Dylan O'Brien Sees A Glimmer
He's in talks for the found footage sci-fi pic
Liam Hemsworth Finds Aurora Rising
As a surfer-turned-fighter pilot
McG Chases Hunter Killer
He's looking at the action thriller
Kate Hudson Set For Wish I Was Here
She's Zach Braff's wife
Cannes 2013: Blood Ties Initial Reaction
First look at Guillaume Canet's English language debut
Jon Vitti Will Write Angry Birds
LIfe-affirming drama with exploding pigs
More Movie News

Roald Dahl's BFG To Hit The Big Screen
Human beans rejoice!

27 September 2011  |  Written by Ali Plumb  |  Source: The Wrap


Roald Dahl's BFG To Hit The Big Screen

Back in 1989, now defunct children's TV animation studio Cosgrove Hall made a film version of The BFG, starring David Jason as the Big Friendly Giant himself and Amanda Root as Sophie, the miniature-by-comparison herione.

It arrived on TV screens on Christmas Day that year, and now, 22 years later, ET writer Melissa Mathison, veteran super producer Frank Marshall and Dreamworks itself are planning on making a live-action version. 

Mathison, as you might have guessed, is on writing duties, but no director or actors have been announced, though we're sure the rumours will start flying about the internet soon enough.

It seems like a sensible move from Dreamworks, with Dahl stories proving to be a rich vein for directors over the years, from Nic Roeg's The Witches to Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox and Henry Selick's James And The Giant Peach.

And as it's live action, we're interested to see who exactly the BFG is going to be, so, you know, big and friendly. Hmm. James Cromwell has the right look...

No release date has been earmarked yet for The BFG, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.


Have Your Say
To comment on this, and all articles, register for free or login now.

Summit Uncover Area 52
Cult comics series picked up for screen
Todd Field Accepts The Creed Of Violence
Update: He's got the funds to make it

Your Comments

RE:
Has to be Ian mckellen for BFG surely! More

Posted by JonathanMardukas at 21:29 on 29 September 2011 | Report This Post

Clint Eastwood would be perfect looks wise, but he wont do it, maybe the guy who played Victor Meldrew?? More

Posted by oz_p at 11:58 on 29 September 2011 | Report This Post

i liked Fantastic Mr Fox
Its slightly US'fied but suitably Wes Anderson wierd.... so id be up for another adaptation. More

Posted by spideed2 at 20:11 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

RE: He probably can't act, but...
L: Lebo The Irish lock forward, Leo Cullen, is ridiculously tall and certainly looks like the BFG. http://www.france24.com/en/files/imagecache/aef_ct_wire _image/images/afp/photo_1312467437462-1-0.jpg hat is mad! I was watching an interview with him over the weekend and was thinking the exact same thing More

Posted by musht at 16:19 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Other casting choices…
I know everyone's thinking about the BFG casting but what about for Sophie? I don't know why but I had thought the little girl from Outnumbered and The King's Speech - she might be a bit too excitable though for Sophie (it's been a long time since I've read/seen the original). Also, get Helen Mirren back as the Queen (definitely remember some Buckingham Palace sequence) just for the shear ridiculous continuity it would create. More

Posted by Brobe at 14:21 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

RE: Needs to be sufficiently mental
Or for that matter they could use Dave Prowse with James Earl Jones's voice. No, hang on... More

Posted by beancounter at 13:41 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Needs to be sufficiently mental
Is it just me who thinks an anglicised, old Crispin Glover has the right nose? Out there suggestion but it might just be mental enough to work... Like a Crispin Glover who's spent his life working on a farm... Or Stephen Merchant with John Hurt's voice... More

Posted by supermaddy at 12:54 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Big and Friendly?
It's a shame John Holmes is dead. He looked really friendly. More

Posted by Jack Spank at 12:09 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Call Weta!
I think this film will need some serious motion-capture work by Weta, ROTPOTA-style, to pull off the giants effectively. What none of us want is a shitty Gulliver's Travels-style piece of shit. More

Posted by Garet6 at 12:04 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Come on Bill Nighy !
Bill Nighy would be fantastic- he would be really good at showing how the BFG is a basically a big kid at heart, , and yet hes also this otherworldly, mystical being. Personally I'd prefer it to be all in live action- no crappy CG job can top the original film ! And besides, making another film might be overkill anyway- Roald Dahl apparently loved the original, - maybe that should be the signal to leave it alone ? ? More

Posted by watchmovies_09 at 10:59 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Broadbent for BFG!
For me the BFG has the potential to be the best film taken from Dahl's work. I would personally would love to have Jim Broadbent in the role, but have him mo-capped Gollum style so he could be rendered as in Quentin Blake's artwork, which for me is already nigh on perfect. Please, please don't feck this one up Dreamworks!!! More

Posted by Bobsbitchtits at 10:39 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

Please, please don't make it in 3D!!! More

Posted by Nicola Brierley at 08:46 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

RE:
It was on telly a week or so ago and I was thinking it would be great to see a new live action adaptation. Spooky. Should be great, as long as Wes Anderson doesn't go within whizzpopping distance of it. More

Posted by horribleives at 06:50 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post

This film needs to be incredibly dark! More

Posted by Tenacious P at 22:45 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post

He probably can't act, but...
The Irish lock forward, Leo Cullen, is ridiculously tall and certainly looks like the BFG. http://www.france24.com/en/files/imagecache/aef_c t_wire_image/images/afp/photo_1312467437462-1-0.jpg More

Posted by Lebo at 22:24 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post

RE: The old one was immense.
While the animated film is indeed fantastic, I'm really eager to see what can be done with the story in live action. I think Stephen Merchant would make a great BFG. I wonder if they'll mo-cap the other giants to make them look suitably grotesque. More

Posted by bobatim at 21:41 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post

RE: The old one was immense.
Screw this, the David Jason version was great More

Posted by rich at 21:34 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post

The old one was immense.
No way was the old one not a proper film :) I'm sure everyone in the country about my age will have watched this through on the last day of term at school before crimbo. Its ace. Don't change it please Hollywood...and if you do please get Del Boy back to do it, in my mind he is the BFG... More

Posted by Gazme at 18:13 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post

So long as it's not as c*** as Fantastic Mr Fox...
And hopefully not to americanised (no offence to USA intended...) More

Posted by Cyberleader at 17:21 on 27 September 2011 | Report This Post


CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Biggest Doctor Who Jaw-Droppers
The Time Lord's biggest surprises over 50 years of TV

Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch: A Beginner's Guide To The Avengers 2 Newcomers
Your primer on the brother and sister joining the A-team

Clint Mansell On Making Requiem For A Dream
'Darren had to edit at night because he could get access to the studio for free then.'

Arrested Development Video Interviews
Say hello to Jeffrey Tambor, David Cross, Tony Hale, Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat

Empire's Favourite Music Moments
From The Pixies to Burt Bacharach via Audioslave

Cannes Film Festival Videblogisode #2
Episode II: Attack Of The Clouds featuring Emma Watson and Paul Haggis

The 20 Soundtracks That Defined The 2000s
The sounds of a dark knight, a mischievous Parisian, a troubled family and one flying house...

Subscribe For Only £20
Get Dead Island: Riptide and six issues of Empire for only £20! Subscribe now
Steven Spielberg iPad App
Hollywood's most beloved director in this unique iPad special. Download now
Empire iPad Edition
The world's biggest movie magazine available on iPad Download now
Home  |  News  |  Blogs  |  Reviews  |  Future Films  |  Features  |  Interviews  |  Images  |  Competitions  |  Forum  |  iPad  |  Podcast  |  Magazine Contact Us  |  Empire FAQ  |  Subscribe To Empire  |  Register
© Bauer Consumer Media  |  Terms And Conditions  |  Our Data Promise To You  |  Bauer Entertainment Network
Bauer Consumer Media. Company number 1176085 (England). Registered Office: 21 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DY