The Mouse Guard adaptation is in talks to add comedian Jack Whitehall. The comic book series has been a bi-monthly release ever since creator David Petersen brought it to life back in 2006. A big screen adaptation has been discussed for years, but it wasn’t until 2016 that Petersen found a studio that shared his vision.
The studio tasked with bringing Mouse Guard to life is Fox, and so far the production is looking as though it’s shaping up into something quite magical. One of the first moves made on the project was to hire Gary Whitta, the writer behind the successful Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to adapt the comic books. The story follows a group of anthropomorphized mice during the Medieval Ages who band together in order to protect other mice and smaller creatures of their realm. While some have previously referred to the series as Game of Thrones with mice, the aim for the big screen adaptation is to create a film that is family friendly, but with real consequences - as is the case with the Star Wars films. So far, Mouse Guard has cast the likes of Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Samson Kayo, and Sonoya Mizuno.
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According to THR, a new face is about to be added to the film’s ever-growing roster. British comedian Jack Whitehall is reportedly in talks to join Mouse Guard as Kenzie, a staff-wielding member of the guard who typically gets paired with Kayo’s character, Saxson. While Saxson is often portrayed as something of a mischievous trouble maker, Kenzie is more measured and the two reportedly play off one another well, with a bit of a Han Solo/Chewbacca vibe between the characters.
As one of Britain’s fastest rising talents, Whitehall is a well-known comedian and actor in the United Kingdom. After being named Britain’s King of Comedy at the 2012 British Comedy Awards, his stature rapidly grew, and aside from being a regular on a handful of UK-based variety shows, Whitehall also stared in a number of popular television programs. With the arrival of his Netflix series Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, in which the comedian undertakes different journeys in the company of his stuffy father, Michael, Whitehall received his first substantial exposure in America. Since then, he's gone on to some small roles in several Hollywood features, and will star in Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming Jungle Cruise.
So far, everything about Mouse Guard’s adaptation looks intriguing. It’s been previously noted that the adaptation will rely on Weta Digital for its stop motion/CG visual effects - the same company that was responsible for The Lord of the Rings, as well as Avatar, with a reported similar style expected to what was seen in the Planet of the Apes films. There’s plenty of room here for a franchise, and from the sounds of it, Fox/Disney are doing everything they can to ensure that when Mouse Guard does arrive in theaters, it will provide an experience unlike any other.
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Source: THR