Jeff Bridges and Dave Bautista have been cast in Grendel, a new live-action Beowulf adaptation that comes from The Jim Henson Company.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Bridges will play the titular monster in Grendel, which is headed to the Cannes Film Market later this month, while Bautista is playing Beowful.
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will create the practical creature work and design for Grendel, while Robert D. Krzykowski is directing the film. Grendel is based on John Gardner’s 1971 novel of the same name.
Who else is starring in Grendel with Jeff Bridges and Dave Bautista?
Along with Bridges and Bautista, Grendel stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born) as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Unferth.
The film tells “the tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story,” according to The Hollywood Reporter’s description.
Krzykowski also wrote the script for Grendel and serves as a producer alongside Brian Henson and Vince Raisa for The Jim Henson Company, Jay Glazer, Dennis Berardi, and Jon D. Wagner. Bridges, John Sayles, Tamara Birkemoe, and Joe Jenckes of Ashland Hill Media Finance all serve as executive producers.
“Grendel represents everything I love about the movies. John Gardner’s mad masterpiece cleverly tackles what it is to be human through the wild-eyed lens of a monster,” Krzykowski said. “It’s an honor to work with such a remarkable group of storytellers, all of whom seek to bring something wonderful and unexpected to audiences now.”
Grendel will be Krzykowski’s second feature film following 2018’s The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot, which also starred Elliott and Turner.
