BEOWULF - PREVIEW 

Beowulf (2007)

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Ray Winstone
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rated: Unrated
U.S. Opening Date: November 16th, 2007

THEY SAY

In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous yet seductive mother, in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend.

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the Beowulf saga that has never been told before. Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Shangri-la Entertainment present Beowulf, starring Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, and Ray Winstone as Beowulf. The film also stars John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn and Ray Winstone.

Neil Gaiman (Stardust, the graphic novel Sandman) and Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) adapted the legend for the screen.

WE SAY

This 1 000 year plus Old English poem has provided the “inspiration” for several movies, most notably a horrendous low-budget Christopher Lambert movie Beowulf in 1999 and a European production titled Beowulf & Grendel starring Gerard Butler (King Leonides in 300) more recently.

This one boasts an impressive cast (Jolie! Hopkins! Malkovich!) and is written by Neil Gaiman, best known for his Sandman graphic novel but whose Stardust adaptation proved to be quite a hit.

It is directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Contact) who has used the same CGI “drawn” over real-life actors process that he employed to create a creepy, unblinking zombie Tom Hanks in The Polar Express.

With very little advance hype, Beowulf doesn’t seem as if it’s exactly going to be the next Lord of the Rings (whose box office success no doubt had this one being green-lit) but who knows? By this time everyone has forgotten about that rotten Lambert flick by the Mortal Kombat director . . .
 

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Trivia

• Screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary began writing the script in May 1997.
• Paramount Pictures hired Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County, California, to produce a walk-through maze based on the new "Beowulf" movie for it's 35th Annual Halloween Haunt, held every October at the theme park. Sony Pictures The Grudge 2 was the only previous maze produced at the Haunt by a major movie studio.

• Trailer 1 (QuickTime): hi-res (640x480); med-res (480x360); lo-res (320x240); hi-def (480p,720p,1080p)
• Trailer 2 (QuickTime): hi-res (640x480); med-res (480x360), lo-res (320x240), hi-def (480p,720p,1080p)
• International trailer (QuickTime): hi-res (480x360); lo-res (320x240)
• TV spots: hi-res (640x480); med-res (480x360); lo-res (320x240); High Definition (480p,720p,1080p)