Most of you are familiar with Laika’s stop-motion animated film projects like Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, Missing Link, and ParaNorman. Well, the studio is now expanding into live-action films, and their first project will be an adaptation of John Brownlow’s debut novel Seventeen.
The film is said to be an action thriller and when talking about the project, Travis Knight, president and CEO said:
“For the past 15 years, Laika has been committed to making movies that matter. Across mediums and genres, our studio has fused art, craft and technology in service of bold, distinctive and enduring stories. With Seventeen, Laika is taking that philosophy in an exciting new direction.”
He went on to tease what we can expect to see in the movie, saying:
“Seventeen is a stiff cocktail of wicked wit, exhilarating action and raw emotion. John has such a wonderfully unique voice. He’s crafted a brilliant universe with its own powerful identity. ‘Seventeen’ is a thriller with soul, a sinuous adrenaline-fueled actioner with a sincere heart beating underneath its rippling pectorals.”
The novel that the film is based on won’t be published until 2022, but Brownlow is excited that it’s being developed into a film by Laika:
“I am absolutely thrilled to be developing Seventeen for the screen with Laika. As a long-time fan of Laika’s movies for their vision, heart, craft, intelligence and ambition, I couldn’t have hoped for the novel or the universe it inhabits to have found a better or more exciting home. I’m beyond honored to be part of their plans for the future.”
Brownlow previously wrote the script for the feature film Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. He also wrote and executive produced the limited series The Minaturist, which starred Anya Taylor-Joy.
I’m excited to see that Laika is diving into live-action films! They have always done a great job telling their stories through stop-motion animation and I’m looking forward to seeing them bring those storytelling skills to the live-action projects that they’ll be developing.
Source: Variety