It's always fun to see Stephen Lang (AVATAR) pop up on the big-screen and one of his next projects will be an adaptation of Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines" series. THR reports that Lang is set to join the cast of the Peter Jackson produced flick as Thaddeus Valentine, "one of the most powerful men in London society and one who is trying to get his hands on a weapon of mass destruction."
MORTAL ENGINES is set thousands of years in the future, where "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." It was originally expected that Peter Jackson would direct the film himself, but once Guillermo del Toro dropped out of THE HOBBIT, development on MORTAL ENGINES stalled and was only resurrected last year with Christian Rivers, Jackson's longtime protege, stepping into the director's chair. Jackson will still be producing the film as well as co-writing it with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
In addition to Stephen Lang, THR also reports that South Korean singer-actor Jihae and relative newcomer Leila George have also joined the film. George will play Katharine, the daughter to Stephen Lang's character, while Jihae will play Anna Fang, a member of the violent league that is fights against the mobile cities. Robert Sheehan (The Misfits), Hera Hilmar (Da Vinci's Demons) and Ronan Raftery (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM) are also set to star in the film which will kick off production this spring in New Zealand.
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.