Bryan Singer Directing ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ (Not Caruso?)

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:35:18 +0000

The Hollywood Reporter has released the news that director Bryan Singer has been tapped to helm the upcoming film Jack the Giant Killer for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures. The film takes a more adult look at the classic childrens tales, “Jack and the Beanstalk” and its cousin “Jack The Giant Killer” (the latter was already made into a 1962 stop-motion film).

This news comes as a bit of surprise (though it’s not being reported that way, for some reason), as last word around the ‘Net was that Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso would be directing the film. After a quick search and survey I haven’t turned up anything explaining why Caruso is off the project and Singer is on, but hey, it’s Hollyweird so who knows…

Jack the Giant Killer is a film about a world where people and giants maintain a tenuous truce – that is until a princess gets kidnapped and the giants are fingered as the culprits. Our hero, Jack, a young farmer, leads a team on a rescue quest to bring back the princess and of course (as the title would indicate) kill some giants.

The story for the film is being penned by Live Free Or Die Hard scribe Mark Bomback, working off an earlier version by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After).

THR is speculating that the fast-tracked status of Jack the Giant Killer will make it Singer’s next film. The director is also currently attached to the big-screen adaptation of Battlestar Galactica and an upcoming adaptation of Excalibur.

While I’m glad to hear Singer’s name attached to a an epic ensemble adventure like this film, I still want to know just what led to him being handed the job, and why there seems to be this black hole of information regarding D.J. Caruso departing the project. Maybe those answers will come with time (or from our savvy readers)?

Jack the Giant Killer is currently aiming for release in 2011.

Source: THR

D.J. Caruso To Direct ‘Jack the Giant Killer’

Ross Miller — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:26:25 +0000

D.J. Caruso, director of such films as Disturbia and Eagle Eye, has been signed on to direct Jack the Giant Killer, a drama that takes a more adult look at the classic children’s story Jack and the Beanstalk.

The New Line Cinema produced film has been written by Mark Bomback (writer of Live Free or Die Hard and the upcoming Race To Witch Mountain) and produced by Neil Moritz (I Am Legend, Click). Here is the synopsis:

When a princess is kidnapped, a long-standing peace between men and giants becomes threatened, and a young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giant kingdom to rescue her.

As far as I can see this will be live-action which would be equal parts interesting and strange. To me this story would work very well done in some sort of animated form but live-action? That way it has a greater risk of coming off as cheesy, whereas you can get away with a lot more if it’s an animated CGI film. Unless news gets released to contradict the presumption, we can only assume it is indeed live action.

But what I do love about the idea is that it puts a darker stamp on what is originally a children’s story with a happy ending. I would be quite interested to see what could be done with a darker approach to the story, it definitely has potential to be something very interesting.

However I don’t think Caruso is the right man to hand the project to; I didn’t like his Rear Window rip-off Disturbia (it took me a few months to calm myself about that one) and although I enjoyed Eagle Eye for the over-the-top fun that it was, it’s not exactly a classic. And none of the rest of his body of work suggests he’s capable of anything other than cheap thrills and superficiality (in case you’re wondering he also did the Seven rip-off Taking Lives and the forgettable Two for the Money – if I’m missing any multi-layered masterpiece from his resume please let me know).

What do you make of Jack the Giant Killer and the fact that Caruso is the one to helm it?

Source: Variety and ComingSoon.net

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Bryan Singer Directing ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ (Not Caruso?)

D.J. Caruso To Direct ‘Jack the Giant Killer’