New live-action adaptation of The Last Unicorn in the works

[JakeSully]

That's right, Peter S. Beagle creator/writer of the original book that started it all and the writer of the animated 1982 version has announced he is gonna write a script for a new live-action version of The Last Unicorn. But this isn't a remake of the 1982 animated movie but rather a new adaptation of the original source material being the 1969 book which has gained a cult following for many years.

[Netkeeper]

Yeah, I believe Peter S. Beagle's confirmed this at the Last Unicorn showings.

[pennydreadful]

I hate to be that guy, but... *ahem*

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=49115

Anyway, yes - Peter S Beagle announced this week that the rights for the live-action film are back in his hands and he's moving forward with discussions relating to this project.

[JakeSully]

So i heard.

I dig the animated film since i was 4 as i'm a Rankin Bass fan and i also like the book as well and got the graphic novel adaptation.

My ideal cast:
Joel Moore (Avatar and Grandma's Boy) as Schmedrick.
Glen Close as Molly Grue.
Jonathan Rhys Myers as Captain Cully.
Kane Hodder (a.k.a. Jason Voorhees) as Ruhk.
Linda Hunt as Mommy Fortuna.
Patrick Stewart, Robert Englund or Doug Bradley from Hellraiser/Nightbreed as King Haggard.
That cute blonde chick from Harry Potter who played Luna Lovehart or Emily Browning (*Drool*) from Sucker Punch as Lady Amalthea/Unicorn's voice.
Robbie Coltrane as Cat's voice.
Tom Savini and Bruce Campbell as 2 of Captain Cully's men.

And for executive producers Guillermo Del Toro with James Cameron and Peter S. Beagle and for director the guy who did Harry Potter 3 with Fox/MGM for studios. Rick Baker with WETA for effects.

[IndigoErth]

Spoiler:

Think the only time I ever saw it was projected on a screen in the lunch room in early elementary school, I think the day before we got out for winter break, but parts of it stuck with me forever. Was a long time before I ever even tracked down what movie it was.

[Netkeeper]

I'd give anything for Sir Christopher Lee to reprise his role as King Haggard, personally...

[pennydreadful]

You should check it out again sometime, Indigo - it really is a wonderful story, and the Rankin-Bass movie is a marvelous adaptation of the book.

As for me, my #1 choice for King Haggard is Christopher Lee, hands-down. He's the penultimate choice for Haggard - nobody else could bring to the role what he could - his voice performance in the animated film was flawless.

I'd also be really interested to see what they did with Celaeno's design - whether they stuck with the Rankin-Bass look or if they did a more traditional harpy with a bird's body and a woman's face. I'm also curious as to who they'll cast for her voice.

As far as Mommy Fortuna, I'd like to see Angela Lansbury return to reprise her role.

I'm still casting my vote with Helena Bonham Carter as Molly Grue - she's a great actress when she's not being typecast by Tim Burton.

Since Jeff Bridges did Lir's voice in the animated film, I think it'd be nice if he were cast as Captain Cully for the live-action version.

I think that David Tennant would actually do a good turn as Schmendrick - he can capture the sorrow and the humor of the character.

Amalthea's going to be very tricky to cast - I won't be satisfied with just a pretty face; in fact, I think it's more important that she's "lovely" rather than "beautiful"; her beauty shouldn't simply be a human kind of beauty. Amalthea has to have an otherworldly quality, and whoever plays her has to be able to capture the changeability of an immortal creature in a mortal frame, becoming mortal in spirit, going from girl to woman - not to mention doing a decent voice acting job on the unicorn. Maybe Natalie Dormer? I think she has the range for it.

[JakeSully]

Originally Posted by pennydreadful

You should check it out again sometime, Indigo - it really is a wonderful story, and the Rankin-Bass movie is a marvelous adaptation of the book.

As for me, my #1 choice for King Haggard is Christopher Lee, hands-down. He's the penultimate choice for Haggard - nobody else could bring to the role what he could - his voice performance in the animated film was flawless.

I'd also be really interested to see what they did with Celaeno's design - whether they stuck with the Rankin-Bass look or if they did a more traditional harpy with a bird's body and a woman's face. I'm also curious as to who they'll cast for her voice.

As far as Mommy Fortuna, I'd like to see Angela Lansbury return to reprise her role.

I'm still casting my vote with Helena Bonham Carter as Molly Grue - she's a great actress when she's not being typecast by Tim Burton.

Since Jeff Bridges did Lir's voice in the animated film, I think it'd be nice if he were cast as Captain Cully for the live-action version.

I think that David Tennant would actually do a good turn as Schmendrick - he can capture the sorrow and the humor of the character.

Amalthea's going to be very tricky to cast - I won't be satisfied with just a pretty face; in fact, I think it's more important that she's "lovely" rather than "beautiful"; her beauty shouldn't simply be a human kind of beauty. Amalthea has to have an otherworldly quality, and whoever plays her has to be able to capture the changeability of an immortal creature in a mortal frame, becoming mortal in spirit, going from girl to woman - not to mention doing a decent voice acting job on the unicorn. Maybe Natalie Dormer? I think she has the range for it.

But what do you think of my choices like Robert Englund or Patrick Stewart or Tobin Bell (aka Jigsaw from Saw) or Doug "Pinhead and Lylesburg from Nightbreed" Bradly for King Haggard? Helen as Molly that can work.

What do you think of my other casting choices especially Linda Hunt for Mommy Fortuna?

How about Viggo as Cully and Chris Pine for Lir?

Yes Amalthea is gonna be a toughie to chose, afterall she was my first animated character crush when i was little along with Judy Jetson, Teela/Adora on He-Man/She-Ra, Cleo on Heathcliff and others as she with Judy and Taarna on Heavy Metal and Black Cat in Spider-Man comics/toons made me fascinated with platinum white blonde chicks. What do you think of my choices like Emily Browning from Sucker Punch or the cutie who played Luna in Harry Potter? Natalie Dormer is a nice choice.

And wouldn't it be neat to see James Cameron and Del Toro produce this movie besides Peter S Beagle? I mean James has done action, sci-fi and one sci-fi fantasy film (Avatar of coruse) yet would be nice to see him go into fantasy territory in something different. Del Toro is a perfect producer choice with his amazing dark fantasies like Hellboy 1 & 2, Pan's Labyrinth, Devil's Backback, Cronos etc.

And do you think Rick Baker and WETA would do good job with the effects?

[pennydreadful]

Keep in mind that while I'm ordinarily anal about book-to-movie adaptations as it is, I'm going to be even more so with this one, because:

1. It's my favorite book ever, and
2. It's got a lot of personal meaning to me (for reasons which I'm not up to sharing right now).

I don't believe that Peter S Beagle will take the director's chair for this project as it's not his field - but we know he's going to do the screen adaptation and I'm sure that after his horrible experience with the last company who had the rights, he's going to want to have some type of creative control (especially over the unicorn design). Maybe he won't have final say in casting but I'd imagine he's at least going to get a producer's credit.

I don't really see horror icons as King Haggard, and Patrick Stewart is a no for me, for the same reason that I'd say no to the idea of Sir Ian Mckellan in the role: their eyes are too kind. Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellan are both phenomenal actors who I have a great deal of respect for - but King Haggard is an extremely complex character. He's not just the antagonist of the story - there's a unique motivation which drives him, and for that reason he needs to be played by someone who can be both intimidating, cold, endlessly hungry and yearning for something that he can never have, and yet showcase human frailty at the same time.

Anyway, don't take it personally if I don't agree with your casting or director choices - as I said, this story is something that has more meaning to me than just being a story, so even for a TLU fan, I'm going to be very picky.

That being said - I do have faith in Peter S Beagle. At this stage, I trust that he's going to ensure that this movie is well done, and properly cast, and that it'll be managed by people who will treat it with the respect it deserves.

I'm not really concerned as to who does the visual effects, as long as they're done properly. I don't think Peter's going to let anyone get away with giving us a horse with a horn on its head as the unicorn, so that's something at least.

[AT-Man]

Who would be the best choice to play the skeleton?

[JakeSully]

hmm that is a toughie.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Not gonna lie- I'm really excited about this. I LOVED the movie, and the book, even still have my old first-print paperback copy, though it's falling apart. I would LOVE to see some of the original cast back in a LA version, though as some mentioned, casting Amalthea (I'm going to call her that henceforth, as it was the name Schmendrick gave her, after all) will be incredibly difficult to pull off properly.

[Leo656]

Nice. Nice.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this but I really f*cking love unicorns. No foolin'.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Well, you can't have MINE!! (And neither can Haggard. I'll fight him tooth and nail for it....)

[Leo656]

Hah. Unicorns only appear to the pure and virginal. I've seen your "confessions" in the AD group, missy. There's an entire system designed solely to keep people like you from getting within 10 miles of a unicorn.

Me neither. Sigh. I get that the mythology needed an excuse to explain why nobody ever sees them, but couldn't it just be like Santa Claus and they all live at the North Pole or something?

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Did I mention I caught it and keep it in my apartment? LOL! Also, if Molly freaking Grue could see and even touch one, then so can I DARN IT!!


Actually, I have a book dedicated to the entire mythology and lore of them, and it's an interesting read. "The Lore of the Unicorn", by Odell Shepard. Had it since I was a kid, and it contains some really lovely illustrations and photos. It also discusses the difference between Western and Eastern unicorns, and I believe it even mentions Lancelot the "Living Unicorn" who used to appear in the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

[pennydreadful]

LOL took the words right out of my mouth, Marvel - if Molly Grue can see one, then so can we!

I think if you believe... you'll see one eventually. Like it says in the book (and the movie)... maybe the reason people haven't seen any in a long time is because they've forgotten how to recognize them.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I haven't. I still look for them whenever I'm out in wild places, always hoping to catch that glimpse of the most perfect being in creation. And because I always wanted to say "See? I TOLD you they were real!!"

[Leo656]

I'unno man. I think those unicorns that are also pegasuseses are probably THE most perfect. Just sayin'.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

It's PEGASI, not pegasuses- and those winged unis are called Alicorns. Just sayin'.