The BFG is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison, based on the novel of same name by Roald Dahl. The film stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill and Bill Hader. Principal photography on the film began on March 23, 2015. The film will be co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and Walden Media, and is scheduled to be released by on July 1, 2016.
Cast
- Mark Rylance as The BFG
- Ruby Barnhill as Sophie
- Bill Hader
- Penelope Wilton as The Queen
- Rebecca Hall as Mary
- Jemaine Clement
- Michael David Adamthwaite
- Daniel Bacon
- Chris Gibbs>
- Adam Godley
- Jonathan Holmes
- Paul Moniz de Sa
- Ã"lafur Ã"lafsson
Production
Producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy began development for a big budget adaptation of The BFG in 1991, and set the project up with Paramount Pictures. Husband and wife screenwriters Robin Swicord and Nicholas Kazan wrote a screenplay adaptation in 1998, with Robin Williams in mind for the title role. By 2001, the script had been rewritten by Gwyn Lurie, which was greeted with positive feedback from the Dahl estate.
In September 2011, DreamWorks Pictures announced that they had picked up the film rights to the book; Kennedy and Marshall are slated to produce, and screenwriter Melissa Mathison will adapt the story. In April 2014, it was announced that Steven Spielberg would direct the film, shooting in 2015 with Disney eyeing a 2016 release. Spielberg stated, "The BFG has enchanted families and their children for more than three decades. We are honoured that the Roald Dahl estate has entrusted us with this classic story." In March 2015, Walden Media agreed to co-finance and co-produce the film. Sam Mercer would also be producing the film. In April 2015, The Walt Disney Studiosâ€"which was already under agreement to distribute the film through its Touchstone Pictures bannerâ€"joined the production as a co-producer and co-financer, and switched the film as a Walt Disney Pictures release instead. Consequently, The BFG is the first Disney-branded film directed by Spielberg; though he has previously produced several films for the studio. The film also marks the first Walt Disney Pictures production since Dragonslayer, to be co-produced by another major studio.
Casting
On October 27, 2014, Mark Rylance was cast in the title role of the film. In the mid-November 2014, it was revealed that a ten year-old student of Crackley Hall School, Ruby Riley had auditioned for the film where she had to learn six pages of dialogue in preparation for a possible role as orphaned Sophie. After a lengthy search on the role Sophie, on December 16, director cast 10-year-old British actress Ruby Barnhill for the role, on which Barnhill said, "I feel incredibly lucky and I'm so happy." Spielberg stated that they "have discovered a wonderful Sophie in Ruby Barnhill." Bill Hader was set to star in the film for an unspecified role on March 27, 2015. On April 13, 2015, more cast was announced, which included Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Jemaine Clement, Michael David Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Jonathan Holmes, Paul Moniz de Sa, and Ã"lafur Ã"lafsson.
Filming
Principal photography on the film began on March 23, 2015 in Vancouver.
Release
The film will be released on July 1, 2016, and distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, except for territories in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where the film's distribution rights will be sold by Mister Smith Entertainment to independent distributors. DreamWorks' financial partner, Reliance Entertainment will release the film in India. Entertainment One will release the film on July 22, 2016 in the UK.
References
External links
- The BFG at the Internet Movie Database
- The BFG at Rotten Tomatoes