The last time we dallied by the riverbank it was to announce Banking on Mr Toad, the Ioan Gruffudd starring biopic of Kenneth Grahame which I’ve not heard hide nor hair of since that news broke almost a year ago. Now though, it looks as if we’re about to welcome a big screen return to Grahame’s greatest creations as a new Wind in the Willows project gets the go-ahead.
The trials and tribulations of Mr Toad, Mole, Ratty, Badger and the rest have been adapted many times before, I fondly recall the stop motion animation version of my childhood and have worked hard to lay out a defence of the Pythons Terry Jones and Eric Idle in their 1996 version, but this new version will be directed by Ray Griggs, whose previous work I had to look up but the titles Super Capers and I Want Your Money seem suitably fitting for this new project of his.
Variety have this news here, and there’s a quote from Griggs which encapsulates his take on the story, for which they also include a synopsis,
At its heart, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a story of friendship and the joys of home,
In the [Bill] Marsilii script, the animals join forces to save their land from a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the uneasy truce between the peaceful animals of the Willows and what remains of Mankind. Story begins when Mole ventures out of his lonely home for the first time and finds a world of new friendships, wonders and adventure waiting for him in the land of the Willows.
Where it gets interesting is the news that it will be a live-action/animatronic re-telling of the story and New Zealand’s own WETA are handling the visual effects, and already I’m sensing a Where the Wild Things Are vibe to the proceedings.
Casting, etc etc will be announced soon I’m sure, and following that I’m sure we’ll get the answer to the question of whether this is a good idea or not…
