Through the Looking-Glass…Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2016: #1. Juan Antonio Bayona’s A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona // Writer: Patrick Ness

Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona began as one of the talents supported by Guillermo Del Toro, blazing into the international horror realm back in 2007 with The Orphanage, which showcased the wonderful Belen Rueda. But his 2012 sophomore film, The Impossible, which depicted the onslaught and aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand, that really brought Bayona acclaim. That film snagged Naomi Watts an Oscar nod for Best Actress and proved the director’s penchant and flair for working with big budget special effects. We’re quite excited to see that he’s adapting Patrick Ness’ celebrated children’s book A Monster Calls for his third feature, which concerns a little boy coping with his mother’s terminal illness and being bullied at school with the help of a tree monster. Liam Neeson stars as said monster, while Felicity Jones plays the sickly mother and Sigourney Weaver as a cold hearted grandmother. Based on the reputation of the source material as well as the exciting cast (which, we should mention, includes Geraldine Chaplin, who has appeared in both of Bayona’s previous films), we look forward to A Monster Calls with great anticipation.

Cast: Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Geraldine Chaplin

Production Co.: River Road Entertainment, Participant Media, La Trini, Apaches Entertainment

U.S. Distributor: Focus Features

Release Date: The film is set for theatrical release on October 16, 2016.

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