Jan 22, 2005 - Steve Bing's Shangri-La Entertainment production company and Sony have worked a deal to finance a "Beowulf" movie from a script by Roger Avary ("Rules of Attraction") and Neil Gaiman ("Princess Mononoke"). Robert Zemeckis ("The Polar Express") will direct.
As usual in Hollywood, there are two competing "Beowulf" projects in the works. Bing and Sony's "Beowulf" will be a motion capture film while "Phantom of the Opera's" Gerard Butler is currently filming a live-action version of the classic poem.
"Beowulf" is a literary masterpiece and one of the oldest existing poems in the English language. The story is set in the sixth century and follows the adventures of a young warrior who does battle with the huge ogre, Grendel.
ImageMovers' Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, and Steve Starkey will produce "Beowulf" with Martin Shafer, Avary and Gaiman executive producing.
SOURCE: Variety
