Back when Guillermo del Toro was set to tackle THE HOBBIT, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh began work on adapting Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines" series. At the time it was thought that Jackson would direct the film, but once Guillermo del Toro dropped out of THE HOBBIT and Jackson had to take over, the development of "Mortal Engines" stalled. The project was resurrected last year, but Jackson decided to hand the directing reins over to Christian Rivers, his longtime protege. Jackson will remain heavily involved as he will be producing the film as well as co-writing it with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
Ronan Raftery (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM) and Robert Sheehan (The Misfits) joined the cast several days ago, and now another role has just been filled. It has been announced that Hera Hilmar (Da Vinci's Demons) has landed the female lead in MORTAL ENGINES, which will kick off production in New Zealand (where else?) this spring. Philip Reeve's series is "set thousands of years in the future. Earth’s cities now roam the globe on huge wheels, devouring each other in a struggle over diminishing resources. On one of these massive Traction Cities, Tom Natsworthy has an unexpected encounter with a mysterious young woman from the Outlands, who will change the course of his life forever."
Should it be successful, MORTAL ENGINES will be the first in a planned series of movies based on Reeve's "Mortal Engines" books, which also include "Predator's Gold," "Infernal Devices," and "A Darkling Plain." Christian Rivers seems excited to be the one at the helm, saying that "Mortal Engines is one of those stories that was made for the big screen. A fantastical, futuristic world that has to be seen to be believed. At its heart though, it’s a beautiful love story and a richly complex character driven adventure."
MORTAL ENGINES is set for a December 14, 2018 release.