Variety has learned that SCANDAL and ROB ROY director Michael Caton-Jones has been tapped to helm a big screen adaptation of the John Gordon fantasy children's novel The Giant Under the Snow. The planned movie will reportedly be live-action with some CGI, and it will be filmed on location in the United Kingdom, as well as at Pinewood and Shepperton studios.
Caton-Jones is developing the screenplay with CHALET GIRL scribe Tom Williams, and the plan is to start production this October for a Christmas 2016 release. John Gordon's debut novel was first published in 1968, and a revised edition of The Giant Under the Snow was released in 2006.
Here's the book synopsis from Amazon:
Three children find an ornate Celtic buckle. To them it is treasure, a fantastic find. They have no idea that it has awakened a giant who has lain at rest for centuries. Little do they know that an evil warlord and his Leathermen have also awaited this moment, this chance to wield their deadly power. In a chilling tale full of menace and suspense the final battle between good and evil must be fought.
Michael Caton-Jones' URBAN HYMN starring Shirley Henderson and Ian Hart will hit U.K. theaters later this year, and it will be his first feature film directorial effort since bombing hard with BASIC INSTINCT 2. Have any of you read The Giant Under the Snow, and what are your thoughts on Caton-Jones helming a movie version of the novel?