Correction: This article originally ran with Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey being a part of the project and this is just being produced by Juliet Blake. Corrections in the article have been made below.
In news that is great for fans of one of my favorite authors of all time, Juliet Blake has acquired the rights to bring us Nail Gaiman’s upcoming take on ‘Hansel & Gretel.’ The graphic novel itself is not due out until October 28th this year but is clearly impressive enough to have caught the attention of this production company with Gaiman’s writing and illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti.
Juliet Blake’s Four Chickens for a Fiver production company initially purchased the rights to the film and fans of the author are looking forward to see what they can do with it! Recently the production company wrapped up on co-producing ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ with Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey which is receiving rave reviews and doing rather well at the box office.
According to Gaiman, “For me, retelling Hansel and Gretel was a way of telling an old tale in a way that made it immediate and true, and about us, now. It reminds us of how paper thin civilization really is. It’s about hunger, and about families. . . I’m thrilled and delighted to be working with Juliet Blake to bring Hansel and Gretel to the world again, and to show people how much this story has to say to us.”
You can see three examples of the darker style of artwork that they are using below followed by the novel’s synopsis. I’m curious how they will bring that feeling from the graphic novel to the big screen.
This all happened a long time ago, in your grandmother’s time, or in her grandfather’s. A long time ago. Back then, we all lived on the edge of the great forest.
Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti both remember the horror and fascination with which they read the Grimm Brothers’ “Hansel and Gretel.” The writer and the artist now join forces for a brilliant reimagining of one of humanity’s most enduring tales. Be brave, be bold, and keep your wits about you–Gaiman and Mattotti are welcoming you into the woods.
I, for one, love Gaiman’s writing style and can’t wait to see how his most recent work translates to the big screen. With an adaptation of ‘American Gods‘ coming to the small screen as well, and Gaiman actively working on the script, he is pretty busy these days.
Are you looking forward to seeing what ‘Hansel & Gretel’ will end up looking like?
Source: Collider
