Feb 21 2008'Where the Wild Things Are' Getting Massive Reshoot?
Some bad news is coming from the Where the Wild Things Are camp. Remember how you watched what ended up being early test footage, and you thought the cold, impenetrable slab you call a heart might just feel again? How the warmth and charm of the clip, combined with the talent of Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers, and the original book, had you, your group's official movie guy, telling all your friends that this was the one to look forward to in 2009 (and that you were still sorry for building up Cloverfield so much)? Maybe it was just me.
Anyway, according to CHUD, it might be totally scrapped:
I'm hearing that just such a massive reshoot is what is on the table right now. And it's not because of technical issues, unless you want to consider the lead kid actor and the script technical issues. Sources tell me that the suits at Legendary and Warner Bros are not happy with Max Records, the actor playing Max, the mischievous boy who is crowned King of the Wild Things. Worse than that, they don't like the film's tone and want to go back to the script drawing board, possibly losing the Spike Jonze/Dave Eggers script when they do it. Apparently the film is too weird and 'too scary,' and the character of Max is being seen as not likable.
Of course, it only makes sense. All indications were that this was going to be a fun, unique, slightly scary movie--following the path of Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, and other films that still hold up as great, memorable children's entertainment. Why let that out of the gate, especially when another $20 million could probably get a shirtless Will Ferrell playing all the monsters?
Thanks, Becky.
Where the WIld Things Are... Being Completely Reshot? [CHUD]
Reader Comments
1. James - February 21, 2008 11:49 AM
Bastards. Why do the suits so often seem to hate things that are good and love boring tripe?
2. jo - February 21, 2008 12:10 PM
i didn't find max very likable in the book anyway!
3. Dan - February 21, 2008 12:27 PM
The clip is still active here if anyone hasn't seen it yet...
http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/16/clip-from-spike-jonzes-where-the-wild-things-arebut-is-it-real/
4. berndog - February 21, 2008 2:23 PM
I didn't mind Max in the book, and if they want to pull it because he's unlikeable, then I'm all for it. There are far too many films with pretentious unlikeable kids - I'm always amazed people earlier in productions don't realise it. Someone might have this time.
5. Kane - February 21, 2008 2:45 PM
Anybody know how to start up an online petition to submit to these bastards? I mean, fuck, if audiences to get Sam Jackson to say "Get these mothafuckin snakes off this mothafuckin plane!" or get Black Eyed Peas to unleash "My Humps" can't we use just a smidge of persuasion to get them to go along with this film? To not scrap it?
6. The Kilted Yaksman - February 21, 2008 2:56 PM
Are they going to fuck this up as bad as when Henry Kuttner's creepy, chilling, "Mimsy were the Borogroves" was turned into the blandly craptacular kiddie action flick "The Last Mimsy"?
Fuck that noise.
7. Duketrikflicks - February 21, 2008 7:53 PM
I'm with Kane.
Also - can we start a petition to ban Will Ferril from making another film until he can come up with something my kid sister won't make fun of? Just curious.
8. Dan - February 22, 2008 8:09 AM
Warner Brothers is run by a bunch of monkeys.
9. TetraShiva - February 22, 2008 11:11 AM
The original version is going to do so well on DVD.
10. groonk - February 25, 2008 12:57 AM
grrr. i hope the weird version makes it to DVD at least.