Earlier this year, it was revealed that the Jim Henson Company was teaming with Robert D. Krzykowsi for an adaptation of Grendel, the 1971 novel by John Gardner that tells the story of the iconic monster from the epic poem Beowulf from the monsters point of view. The movie boasts a stacked cast, including Jeff Bridges as Grendel, Dave Bautista as Beowulf, Sam Elliott as the Dragon, Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar and more.
We have not seen a lot of takes on Beowulf, Grendel on screen, but there are some that exist. So for you in adapting this story, how do you aim to make sure that yours really stands apart? He said it reminded him of The StoryTeller, which was a great series he did with his father Jim , and the texture of it and the maturity of it, and also taking all of the technology and engineering into 2024 was, I think, an exciting opportunity for them to do everything that they're so expert at, and everything that they love, and tell a really good story within that. It just seemed like a great kind of opportunity for all of us to do something that we would be proud of.
I think that John Gardner was thinking about all of those things as well. He didn't explain things in black and white. He left you with a whole lot to think of, and I hope that that's the same thing that happens when you see this movie. It's so interesting, it fits so nicely in with what the Jim Henson Company has done with Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, and The Storyteller.KRZYKOWSKI: Good. Yeah, I do too. I love it.
I think right now, telling a story that takes risks. It's just difficult to get the right people together that go “this is a risk worth taking.” An audience is gonna reach out and grab something like this because they're starved for this type of newness. I think that the most difficult challenge is just putting the right people together that will support something like this.
You talked about the art side of things, but in terms of adaptation of the actual story, what for you has been the biggest hurdle in adaptation, be it making sure that the tone is right, or maybe something in the story that just wouldn't work in changing mediums? KRZYKOWSKI: I think that it has an irreverent sense of humor that reminds me a little bit of the Coen Brothers, but it also has kind of a mean streak in it that reminds me of some of Ridley Scott's more pensive, deep thinking, be it historical or science fiction, pieces. There's something about Grendel that feels like it doesn't really exist in our reality.
And maybe more than that, to talk to people about it. That's my favorite thing about a movie, is as the credits are rolling, you lean across to your friend and there's just so much going through your mind, and you take it on the car ride home.
But what was most exciting to me is Grendel's thoughtful, he's thinking all the time, and as a company, that's what I love. As a puppeteer, that's what I love. I love to really bring a puppet or a creature to life as a really full, three dimensional, thinking, emotive, emotional character. And it's not what people normally will do with creatures.
HENSON: I was very influenced by working on The StoryTeller series. I don't know if you know the StoryTeller series, the Jim Henson StoryTeller series. It's nine European Folk tales adapted by Anthony Minghella. We did nine half-hour movies, and they were very ambitious.
When somebody watches the Dark Crystal, they appreciate that 1000 artists worked on Dark Crystal. You can see it, you can just watch the movie, and you can see the hand of the artist. If an audience goes and watches a Marvel movie, you probably had 2000 artists working on a Marvel movie and you don't see their artistry.