The Jim Henson Company is working on a live-action feature film of John Gardner’s 1971 novel, Grendel, which is a reimagining of Beowulf, the Old English poem you likely read in school, told from the perspective of the monster in that story, Grendel.
According to Variety, the cast of Grendel is shaping out nicely, with Tron and R.I.P.D. alum Jeff Bridges (pictured above in the 2022 FX series, The Old Man) playing the titular Grendel(!), Dave Bautista playing Beowulf, and Bryan Cranston taking on the role of King Hrothgar. Additional cast members include Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, Aidan Turner as Unferth and T Bone Burnett as the Shaper. Burnett will also provide original songs for the film.
Unsurprisingly, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will create the feature’s practical creatures. The movie will be directed by Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler), who also penned the script adaptation. This project is completely separate from the Grendel series, which was in development at Netflix but has since been shut down.
“Grendel represents everything I love about the movies,” Krzykowski in a statement to Variety. “John Gardner’s mad masterpiece cleverly tackles what it is to be human through the wild-eyed lens of a monster. 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.”
Brian Henson, producer and Chair of the Board of The Jim Henson Company said in the same statement, “The Jim Henson Company is internationally known for our world creation and character creation. And we are most inspired when a character has a richly authentic personality, and can be sophisticated, thought-provoking, and believable. Grendel is the ultimate character, and will be brought to life using our Creature Shop’s cutting-edge practical techniques in combination with Dennis Berardi’s amazing digital effects.”
Production on Grendel is set to begin in Europe later this year.
