Grendel: Movie Based On Epic Poem 'Beowulf' In Works; Casting Jeff Bridges, Dave Bautista And Bryan Cranston

A movie is in the works based on the epic poem 'Beowulf'. It's being produced by The Jim Henson Company and plans to cast popular actors such as Jeff Bridges, Dave Bautista, Bryan Cranston.

The Jim Henson Company is an interesting choice for the production for the film, as they're more popularly known for their use of puppetry in television and cinema, like the creation of Kermit The Frog and The Muppets. Reading this, one may worry that the serious characters of the poem may be portrayed in a silly manner.

After all, the monsters of 'Beowulf' are depicted to be a little more terrifying than Gonzo The Great or Animal.

Still, fans of the work need not worry as Jim Henson's Creature Shop doesn't just specialize in creature effects for kid-friendly works. They've worked on the unsettling special effects for Scarecrow in 'Batman Begins' as well as the creature design and animation for the thriller movie 'Come Play'. They know their stuff.

Not all characters can be depicted as puppets and men in costumes though. Dave Bautista has been cast as the hero of the poem, Beowulf himself. People may recognize him from his roles in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' as Drax and 'Dune' as Glossu Raban. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges is set to take the role of Grendel, one of the three main antagonists of the poem and the namesake of the film, as reported by Geek Tyrant.

That isn't to say that Bridges won't take the role of the protagonist of the movie, as the plot seems to be based off of a book by the same name, written by John Gardner. The book itself is written from the perspective of Grendel.

Another few notable casting decisions include Bryan Craston as King Hrothgar and Sam Elliot as The Dragon. The movie will be directed by Robert D. Kryzkowski.

This movie is not the first of its kind, however. In 2007, another movie by the same name 'Grendel' was released. Directed by Nick Lyon, the movie didn't leave much of an impact, being ignored by the larger film audience. The few who did watch it left less than satisfactory reviews. Hopefully, this reboot will not fall into the same trap.