Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune star Dave Bautista will play Beowulf in the upcoming live-action monster movie Grendel. The actor will star in the Jim Henson Company production alongside accomplished actors such as Jeff Bridges, who plays the titular character Grendel, and Bryan Cranston, who will portray King Hrothgar.
Per Variety, Grendel will begin production later this year in Europe, with Jim Henson's Creature Shop handling practical creature work and design. The movie also stars Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will provide original songs for the film. Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler) penned the screenplay and will direct the John Gardner novel adaptation. Krzykowski and Jay Glazer acquired the rights to the novel in 2020.
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Grendel Producers Discuss the Upcoming Film
Director Krzykowski discussed Grendel's main theme. "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," he 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."
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Chair of the Board of The Jim Henson Company Brian Henson stated, "The Jim Henson Company is internationally known for our world creation and character creation. We are most inspired when a character has a richly authentic personality and can be sophisticated, thought-provoking, and believable." Henson continued, "Grendel is the ultimate character and will be brought to life using our Creature Shop's cutting-edge practical techniques in combination with Dennis Berardi's amazing digital effects."
Grendel, starring Dave Bautista as Beowulf, is yet to schedule a release date.
Source: Variety