James McAvoy ("X-Men: Apocalypse"), John
Boyega ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens"), Nicholas Hoult ("Mad
Max: Fury Road"), Ben Kingsley ("The Jungle Book"), Olivia
Colman ("The Night Manager"), Gemma Arterton ("Hansel and
Gretel: Witch Hunters"), Freddie Fox ("Pride"), Anne-Marie Duff
("Suffragette"), and Miles Jupp have signed on to lend their voices
to the upcoming small screen adaptation of Richard Adams' 1972 novel, Watership
Down.
In the Netflix and BBC produced animated miniseries, McAvoy
stars as Hazel, Boyega as Bigwig, Hoult as Fiver, Kingsley as General
Woundwort, Arterton as Clover, Colman as Strawberry, Duff as Hyzenthlay, Jupp
as Blackberry, and Fox as Captain Holly.
Set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural
landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a
band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and
the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers,
they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing
trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a
more perfect society.
"We jumped at the chance to get in early and work
alongside the BBC and 42 to bring this classic English tale to our members
around the world," Larry Tanz, VP global television, Netflix, and
executive producer, said. "This novel presentation of Adam’s work pairs
great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and
capture a whole new audience for this timeless story."
"Before there was ‘Harry Potter’ there was
‘Watership Down,’ Richard Adams’ novel is one of the most successful books of
all time and one of the biggest-selling books in history," BBC's drama
commissioning editor Matthew Read said. "It is fantastic to have the
opportunity to bring a modern-classic to a mainstream BBC One audience with
such an incredible roster of actors alongside the talented team overseeing the
animation. This fantastic take on the novel will unite the whole family, and
bring this classic story to a new generation."
Written by Tom Bidwell ("My Mad Fat Diary")
and co-directed by Noam Murro ("300: Rise of the Empire") and Pete
Dodd (key animator in "Fantastic Mr. Fox"), this won't be the first
time Watership Down has been adapted. The first time Adams' story was brought
to the big screen was in 1978 with a well received but terrifying and dark animated
version, which incidentally scarred an unsuspecting 7-year-old me years later, while
years later in1999 a more kid-friendly TV series was produced.
Watership Down has also been adapted to theaters,
games, radio plays, and music.
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