The long-gestating movie "Where The Wild Things Are" has just been picked up by Warner Bros., with Spike Jonze to direct a script by Dave Eggers. Maurice Sendak -- who has a great deal of input -- is thrilled with the concept after years of putting the kibosh on other versions. He says if Spike doesn't do it, he'd rather no one do it. No word on exactly how they expect to transform the picture book into a two hour movie, but it's planned as live action with loads of special effects. (One of Spike's first movie projects was supposed to be "Harold and the Purple Crayon" -- a book that seems even more impossible to turn into a film.)
In general, turning a picture book into a feature film is a bad idea. They can work as 23 min TV specials (see those Dr. Seuss gems). But "The Polar Express" -- which was a box office hit and looks like an Imax perennial - caught the feel of the Van Allsburg gem but spoiled it all by being forced to pad out the story. Ditto all the live action Dr. Seuss travesties, like "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat in the Hat."
One hint of bad things to come: Warner Bros. sees "Wild Things" as a tentpole, which means sequels. So what say you? Should "Where The Wild Things Are" be a movie, a half hour tv special or just left alone?
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