Philip Reeve’s 2001 novel Mortal Engines is finally being adapted for the big screen, with the help of none other than Bad Taste and The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it focuses on a post-apocalyptic England where gigantic moving cities scale the landscape in search of smaller towns to consume and scavenge.
The story takes an interesting turn when Tom Natsworthy, third-class apprentice in the Guild of Historians in the town of Salthook, finds his hometown literally devoured by the city of London. This is what sets him off on his quest throughout the steampunk-inspired wasteland.
As Mortal Engines Wiki describes it:
Traction Cities are vast metropolises built on tiers that move on gigantic wheels or caterpillar tracks. These cities hunt smaller cities (in order to tear them apart for resources and fuel) which in turn hunt towns which in turn hunt villages and static settlements. This practice is known as Municipal Darwinism, which was created by Nicholas Quirke and is based on the evolutionary theories of the ancient philosopher Charles Darwin.
Mortal Engines is being directed by Christian Rivers, who spent most of his career working for Peter Jackson as a storyboard and visual effects artist. He also worked as a second unit director throughout King Kong (2005), The Hobbit trilogy, and Pete’s Dragon.
Peter Jackson is attached to the film as a producer and writer, alongside co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. I’m interested to see what effect Jackson has had on the film’s development, since he was the one who announced it in 2009. And the fact it’s taken so long to produce must mean they’re really taking their time to make something worthwhile.
The film stars Robert Sheehan, Tom Natsworthy, Hugo Weaving, and Hera Hilmar.
Mortal Engines hits theaters December 14, 2018.
What do you think About Christian Rivers’ directorial debut? Are you excited to see how Reeve’s novel plays out on the big screen? Let us know in the comments section down below!