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It’s Halloween, and you know what that means: It’s the perfect time to watch horror movies. Vampires, serial killers, haunted houses, the month that precedes Halloween is the prime time to watch scary movies, but not every scary movie is a Halloween movie… and not every Halloween movie is scary.

So it is with great relish that we present the 31 best Halloween movies ever, exclusively featuring films that actually take place on Halloween, or at least during the Halloween season. The point is, if Halloween doesn’t play a major part in the movie it’s not fair to call it a “Halloween movie,” and as long as Halloween shows up in some important way, it doesn’t matter where the film is frightening, funny, or even just for little kids.

We’re narrowing the field down to theatrically released features and shorts and feature-length TV movies. Halloween specials deserve their own list,...

Eddie Redmayne To Be Honored With Zurich’s Golden Eye

British actor Eddie Redmayne will be feted with the Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Eye Award for his career achievements at its upcoming edition running from September 22 to October 2. The actor will receive the honor ahead of the European premiere of Tobias Lindholm’s serial killer thriller The Good Nurse on September 25.

Citing Oscar-winning Redmayne’s diverse credits including Fantastic Beasts, Trial Of The Chicago 7 and Theory Of Everything, Zff artistic director Christian Jungen described the actor as one of “contemporary cinema’s most versatile actors” adding, “he furnishes his characters with a rare human depth and captivates us with his extraordinary powers of expression.”

Redmayne was previously at Zurich in 2007 in the that’s opening film Savage Grace, in which he co-starred opposite Julianne Moore. He will also participate in a Zurich Masters session during this trip to the Swiss festival.

To mark the release of The Wind in the Willows on 13th June, we’ve been given 2 copies to give away on Blu-ray.

First published in 1908, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows has become one of the best-loved books of all time, enchanting generations of children and adults alike. Toad decides that motor cars are the only way to travel, however his driving skills don’t match up to his enthusiasm. Ratty, Mole and Badger come to his rescue and try to help him stay on the right side of the road, and the law.

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

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Open to UK residents only The competition will close 4th July 2022 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available Please note prizes may be delayed due to Covid-19 To coincide with Gdpr regulations,...

Greenlit means a project is officially a go, so all you have to do is follow these leads to stay up to date. You never know where you’ll find an opportunity to land an audition! “Banking on Mr. Toad”“Banking on Mr Toad,” the biopic of “The Wind in the Willows” author Kenneth Grahame, has started pre-production. The film is directed by Luis Mandoki, stars Toby Kebbell (“War for The Planet of the Apes,” “Dead Man’s Shoes”) and is being cast by Celestia Fox. “The Secret Garden”Jack Thorne’s new big screen adaptation of the beloved children’s book “The Secret Garden” has just added their casting director, Karen Lindsay-Stewart. “The Little Drummer Girl”“The Little Drummer Girl,” the BBC’s new John le Carre adaptation starring Florence Pugh, has brought casting director Jina Jay onboard and will shoot early next year. “Luther”The fifth series of “Luther,...

A new animated series based on The Wind in the Willows is in the works.

It will be called Wind in the Willows: Mole of Mole End and feature 52 11-minute episodes based on the Kenneth Grahame characters.

Hoho Entertainment is working with Martin Gates Productions and Cloth Cat Animation on the series.

Martin Gates Production previously created the 30-minute special Mole's Christmas, which was the UK's most exported TV show from 1993 to 2003 and was sold to 213 countries.

"We have lived with this beautiful book for so long, it has become part of the fabric of our lives," said Martin Gates.

"20 years on, we feel the time is right to breathe new life into the stories for a whole new generation of children, rediscovering beloved old characters and introducing some new female ones including adventurous Squirrel, resourceful Rabbit and the scheming Chief Weasel. There are just so many more stories to tell.

A slew of classic Disney movies are hitting for the first time on Blu-Ray, including one double-pack release, and you’re going to want to make sure to pick these up. You haven’t paid attention to some of these titles for a while, and it’s about time you got the chance to catch them on Blu-Ray. The best part is that there’s a great mix of releases hitting. Bedknobs and Broomsticks is all but lost in the cultural consciousness, and it deserves a return. The Academy Award-winning movie from the year I was born is filled with a lot of fun and adventure, and like most Disney films, holds up well for a whole new generation.

The rest of the group covers a great spectrum, including two animated “big” titles, and a 10th Anniversary release. There’s a lot to expose your family to here, so check out all the info below,...

With Vol. 1 of the hardcover collection of Dave Elliott's The Weirding Willows (art by Barnaby Bagenda and Sami Basri), arriving Today, Titan has released a trailer to make sure you haven't forgotten. Vol. 1 also includes an exclusive brand-new chapter.

Step into The Weirding Willows… and be transported to worlds beyond your imagination.

The 104-page A1 Presents: The Weirding Willows Vol.1 Hardcover is published by Titan Comics.

The series by Elliott, Bagenda, and Basri includes such characters as Alice from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; Damon Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Mole, Ratty, Mr. Toad, and Mr. Badger from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame; The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; Dr. Henry Jekyll from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson; and many more. Colorists are Sakti Yuwono, Jessica Kholinne,...

Dave Elliott's The Weirding Willows (art by Barnaby Bagenda and Sami Basri) is the ultimate literature/pop culture mash-up featuring some truly classic characters. With the Vol. 1 hardcover arriving July 1st, we have more details and a look at the cover.

Step into The Weirding Willows… and be transported to worlds beyond your imagination. This astounding first collected edition includes a brand-new chapter, exclusive to this volume.

The series by Elliott, Bagenda, and Basri includes such characters as Alice from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; Damon Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Mole, Ratty, Mr. Toad, and Mr. Badger from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame; The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; Dr. Henry Jekyll from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson; and many more. Colorists are Sakti Yuwono, Jessica Kholinne,...

Via: io9

Artist Krista Brennan has created a series of wonderful steampunk style art inspired by Kenneth Grahame's classic novel The Wind in the Willows. She calls the art project Steam in the Willows, and her interpretation of the world this story is set in is fantastic! I love what she's done with it. 

The artist is planning to release a new edition of The Wind in the Willows novel featuring her Steampunk style illustrations. This was all thanks to a successful kickstarter campaign that she launched. For more information on the project and how you can purchase the book click here. ...

Feature Louisa Mellor 14 Feb 2014 - 07:00

From the Hund-Jager to the Mauvais Dentes, prepare to meet seven of the deadliest Wesen in the Grimm world…

Let’s face it, few are the Wesen you’d be happy to meet fully woged in a dark alley. These chaps though, are the worst of the lot. A tempest of teeth, fangs, claws and beaks, this scary bunch are the Wesen death squad.

Those “bad ones” Aunt Marie urged Nick to hunt down and stop? Here are the Wesen she was talking about…

Drang-Zorn

"Nasty. Short-tempered. Prone to violent outbursts. Fiercely protective of their offspring."

If you thought a badger-based Wesen would be chums with the non-threatening beaver and mouse variety, you’ve been reading too much The Wind In The Willows (saying that, Kenneth Grahame’s Badger did live in the Wild Woods, making him kind of a badass). No, the Drang-Zorn can be a vicious breed,...

From the Nutcracker to American Psycho, from Mary Poppins to Kurt Vile, our critics pick their must-sees of the festive season

If you wish it could be Christmas every day

Nutcrackers, various

You know it's Christmas in the ballet world by the number of Nutcrackers touring the world's stages. In the UK alone, there are close to a dozen doing the rounds, but the top three remain the Royal Ballet's exquisitely traditional version, the sparky family friendly production by Birmingham Royal Ballet, and English National Ballet's – with the best snow scene of them all. Royal Opera House, London (020-7304 4000), 4 December to 16 January; Birmingham Hippodrome (0844 338 5000), to 12 December; London Coliseum (020-7845 9300), 11 December to 5 January.

Father Christmas

Does Father Christmas use the loo? Does he secretly long for summer? Does he have strong views on the size of chimneys? You bet he does. Raymond Briggs's gorgeous picture book gets a heartwarming makeover for under-sixes.

Monty Python fans everywhere woke up on Tuesday to the exciting news of an official reunion.

Since 1983's The Meaning of Life, the surviving members have yet to embark on a proper, official Monty Python project together. However, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle are to reunite for a special stage production.

As Eddie Izzard wrote on Twitter: "Monty Python reforming to do a gig is as big as The Beatles reforming to do a gig."

To mark this monumental comedy moment, Digital Spy takes a look back at 30 years of near-misses, almosts-but-not-quites and other mini-reunions that have led to today's (November 21) press conference.

1983: Yellowbeard

Released shortly after The Meaning of Life, this comedy was written by Graham Chapman, alongside Peter Cook and Python collaborator Bernard McKenna. Centred around Chapman's pirate who is imprisoned for tax evasion, it also starred John Cleese and Eric Idle in minor roles.

Brendan McCarthy has revealed concept art for a Wind in the Willows film.

The movie based on Kenneth Grahame's childhood classics was put in development in the mid-'90s before it was abandoned.

McCarthy provided development art for the film, which was to be directed by his Jim Henson's The Storyteller collaborator Steve Barron.

"These have been gathering dust, unseen, for twenty years... it's good to give an airing to what could have been a decent British film, from that 'handmade' era," the artist wrote on Facebook (via Robot 6).

"Sadly I have lost most of my film visuals material. I never thought it very important... I always considered my comics work to be the real deal...

"I noticed directors like to be able to show stuff to producers and investors before things are shot... It keeps them calm!"

The project was cancelled when it was eclipsed by a Wind...

• Sacha Baron Cohen will no longer play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the long-gestating biopic about the band, reportedly due to creative differences with the surviving members of Queen. Apparently, the band was quite involved in the process, rejecting proposed directors such as David Fincher and his Les Misérables director Tom Hooper, and insisting that the movie be PG. No word yet on other options to play Mercury. [Deadline]

• Tony-nominated actor and former As The World Turns star Billy Magnussen is set to replace Jake Gyllenhaal (who dropped out recently, reportedly to star in Nightcrawler) as Rapunzel’s prince in Rob Marshall...

Adrien Brody is attached to both star in and produce the biopic "Banking on Mr Toad"

The project is a live-action and CG animated combination feature about Kenneth Grahame, the creator of the renowned children’s work "The Wind in the Willows".

The story will explore Grahame’s relationship with his wife Elspeth, his frequently ill young son Alastair, and the best-selling fictional work he penned while working as secretary at the Bank of England.

Brian Blessed is already attached to play Grahame's best friend William Furnivall. Luis Mandoki helms the project from a script by Timothy W Haas.

Haas, Richard Hewitt, Sally French, Sharon Lark, Tony Silver and Rob-Green are producing. Shooting begins later this year in the U.K.

Source: Screen Daily...

Blending live action and CGI, the long-delayed Banking on Mr Toad to look at author Kenneth Grahame's relationship with his wife, his autistic son and his writing

Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody is attached to star in Banking on Mr Toad, a biopic that looks at The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame's relationship with his wife, his autistic son, and his writing.

The biopic, which will blend live action and CGI, has been delayed numerous times due to pre-production issues and cast changes.

British actor Brian Blessed is set to play Grahame's best friend, the eccentric William Furnivall.

Brody said of the role: "I was moved to tears by this compelling tale of a father's love for his child, and how the obstacles in life sometimes provide the spark of creativity to conquer them. This beautiful script has the power to remind us of our humanity and...

Exclusive: Oscar-winner attached to star in and produce live-action and CGI Kenneth Grahame biopic, Banking on Mr Toad.

Adrien Brody is newly attached to star in and produce a biopic of Kenneth Grahame, the creator of renowned children’s tale Wind in the Willows.

For full production details visit

Banking on Mr Toad

Long-gestating biopic Banking on Mr Toad will chart Grahame’s relationship with his wife Elspeth and young son Alastair - who was plagued by a number of health problems - and the birth of his iconic, best-selling fiction The Wind in the Willows, which he wrote while holding the position of secretary at the Bank of England.

UK actor Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon) is attached to play Grahame’s best friend, the colourful William Furnivall.

Brody said of the role: “I was moved to tears by this compelling tale of a father’s love for his child, and how the...

Adrien Brody is attached to the lead role in upcoming Kenneth Grahame biopic Banking on Mr Toad.

The film - which will chart the personal and professional life of The Wind in the Willows writer - is set to enter production in the UK towards the end of the year, Screen Daily reports.

The Oscar winner will star in and produce the live-action and CGI film, and joins Brian Blessed on the project. Blessed will star as Grahame's best friend William Furnivall.

Brody said of the role: "I was moved to tears by this compelling tale of a father's love for his child, and how the obstacles in life sometimes provide the spark of creativity to conquer them.

"This beautiful script has the power to remind us of our humanity and speaks to children and adults alike."

The project has been delayed numerous times, with a number of directors and...

Dimension Films has announced that deals have been made and casting is underway on a sequel to Sin City –the film on which director Robert Rodriguez exited the DGA because they would not let creator Frank Miller share directorial credit.

Since Disney has had a huge success in turning their Pirates of the Caribbean ride into four movies (and counting), they’ve decided to adapt Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride -one their longest-running attractions- into a live action/CGI feature film. By the way, elements of Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 classic children’s book The Wind in the Willows have been adapted before by Disney, in particular the 1949 film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. And the ride is one of the few attractions that are still running at park since it opened in 1955. Pete Candeland, a commercial and video helmer, has been hired to direct, but the project is still seeking a writer.

Walt Disney Pictures has commissioned a movie based on its Mr Toad's Wild Ride theme park attraction. Pete Candeland will develop the project for cinema using both live-action and CGI, Deadline reports. Candeland is best known for directing music videos and television commercials. He contributed animation for music videos by The Gorillaz and collaborated with Paul McCartney on The Beatles: Rock Band video game. Mr Toad's Wild Ride, inspired by Kenneth Grahame's 1908 book The (more)...

Back in 2003 Disney had a brainstorm: “What if we started to make movies based on our most popular theme park rides?” The results were The Haunted Mansion, a movie that wasn’t good enough for anybody to really remember, but not bad enough to sink the proposition outright, and The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a movie that was so successful it pretty much guaranteed we hadn’t reached the end of the movies based on theme park rides experiment. And heck, these days we’re basing big budget summer releases on board games, so getting a movie about something as kinetic and visual as a theme park ride almost sounds refreshing. That’s why Disney is going back to the well once again, by taking a crack at Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. For those not in the know, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is one of the first rides that...

Disney Pictures is set to turn one of its longest-running theme park rides into a combination live-action/computer animated feature - "Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride" reports Deadline.

The ride itself was based on one of the two segments in Disney’s 1949 film "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", a segment which adapted elements of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 literary classic "The Wind In The Willows".

The ride is one of the few remaining attractions that was operational on the park's opening day in 1955.

Commercials and music video helmer Pete Candeland will direct and Justin Springer ("Tron: Legacy") will produce the project which is currently seeking scribes.

There are several things I remember about going to Disney World as a small child — one of those being the sheer terror that ensued after going on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Yes, I can admit that. Being one of their longest-running theme park rides — which originated in Disneyland in 1955 — it was only a matter of time before Disney made the attracting into a live-action feature film.

However, those who remember all the way back to 1996 can’t forget the Steve Coogan and Eric Idle-voiced animated version, which was based onn Kenneth Grahame’s novel The Wind in the Willows. This time, Deadline reports that Disney is taking a more Pirates route and creating a live-action/CGI hybird, with iconic commercial and video director Pete Candeland developing. However, unlike the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Mr. Toad was unfortunately replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh back...

Deadline is reporting that Disney, always on the look out for a synergistic property that uses cross promotion to advance sales in multiple platforms, is planning an adaptation of the beloved theme park attraction Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The ride, which currently resides in Fantasyland in Disneyland (the Walt Disney World counterpart was sadly shuttered in 1998 and replaced by a cutesy Winnie the Pooh ride), utilizes characters from Disney's 1949 adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's fantastical "The Wind in the Willows," a children's novel about animals that wear pants and speak with English accents. "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" is currently looking for writers to adapt the property.

Disney has tasked Pete Candeland (how has he not just changed his last name to Candyland?) to direct. Candeland, a British commercial director known for creating, under parent company Passion Pictures, many of the "visual components" to the Gorillaz musical project, which included music videos and on-stage live elements.

It looks like the next Disney theme park attraction set to get the movie treatment may be .Mr. Toad.s Wild Ride.. Featured at Disneyland in California, the attraction was based on The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the 1949 animated feature based on Kenneth Grahame.s The Wind in the Willows. So just to keep things straight here, this movie, which Disney is said to be developing, is a film based on an attraction (about a ride), based on a film, which was adapted from a book. Deadline reports that Disney has enlisted Pete Candeland to develop the film, which will be a live-action/CGI mix, with Tron: Legacy producer Justin Springer producing.As Deadline notes, Candeland.s known for directing music videos for The Gorillaz, including this one (which he co-directed): I.m trying to create a mental picture of something from the above video mashed together...

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? For centuries, wise men, philosophers and pranksters have debated whether this classic riddle can even have an answer. But in Hollywood, the answer is obvious: Neither. They're both adaptations of an old TV show based on a book. If you Google the word Ouroboros, it should have a picture of Jerry Bruckheimer's face.

Well, Jerry might not be involved with Disney's latest project, but the spirit of "Pirates of the Caribbean" lives on, as Deadline is reporting that Disney is working on a film adaptation of their theme park attraction "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," which itself is an adaptation of their movie "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad," which, by the way, was an adaptation of the classic children's novel "The Wind in the Willows."

If an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation sounds like it might be tricky to pull off,...

Walt Disney Pictures is once again looking to their theme parks for movie ideas, following the success of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and past and future movies based around the concept of The Haunted Mansion . This time, they're looking to bring their popular park ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride , based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's story "The Wind in the Willows," to the screen as a feature film that combines live action and CG by commercial and video director Pete Candeland. Previously, Candeland did the animation for music videos by The Gorillaz and worked with Paul McCartney on the The Beatles Rock Band video game. Disney is looking for a writer to script the adaptation. The theme park ride has been a fixture at Disneyland since 1955, making...

When Mark Hall's death was announced, one of Britain's leading animation businesses put a message on Twitter: "Deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend Mark Hall. Our company would not be here without him." Hall neither founded that business nor took any part in it. But its directors learned their trade under his unique guidance and inspiration, and never forgot it.

In his long professional life, Mark had two consistent passions. One was for filming stories by great children's writers, in ways which would respect and amplify the original work. The other was for teaching the craft and technique of animated film. The company he founded with Brian Cosgrove was born in the 1960s, when UK animation was a failing cottage industry and even Disney was in the doldrums. So they daringly built their team of film-makers from scratch, bringing new young recruits out of art colleges...

Banking On Mr. Toad true story of Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows author. Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman) is set to direct the film which previously had Driving Miss Daisy director Bruce Beresford on board. Variety reports that the $20 million-budgeted pic is being produced by Hsl Film Studios' Timothy Haas, who also wrote the script which follows Grahame's life from his secretary of the Bank of England, to writing the children's book. Banking on Mr. Toad will apparently combined animation and live-action, also looking at Grahame's relationship with his wife Elspeth and Alastair, his autistic son.

Banking On Mr. Toad true story of Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows author. Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman) is set to direct the film which previously had Driving Miss Daisy director Bruce Beresford on board. Variety reports that the $20 million-budgeted pic is being produced by Hsl Film Studios' Timothy Haas, who also wrote the script which follows Grahame's life from his secretary of the Bank of England, to writing the children's book. Banking on Mr. Toad will apparently combined animation and live-action, also looking at Grahame's relationship with his wife Elspeth and Alastair, his autistic son.

This news will be to book nerds what Emma Stone was to “Spider-Man” nerds.

We love Ricky Gervais. We love “The Wind in the Willows”. We love that director Ray Griggs (“Super Capers”) has cast Ricky Gervias in his live-action/animatronic adaptation of “The Wind in the Willows”. We’re back and forth on Ricky Gervais playing mole, as reported today by Gaurdian.co.uk.

Scratch that, we’re not convinced this casting is quite right. In our minds, being the bookish nerds we are, Gervais should play Mr. Toad.

For those who’ve never read the book, seen the movie or rode the ride, and probably think us a bit obsessive, “The Wind in the Willows” is a children’s book by Kenneth Grahame.

The story goes as follows: a Mole (to be played by Gervais) has had enough with cleaning his house and strikes out to see life.

Ricky Gervais has signed up to voice Mole in the latest film adaptation of The Wind In The Willows. The live-action/animatronic hybrid will be directed by Ray Griggs and penned by Deja Vu writer Bill Marsilii based on the classic children's story by Kenneth Grahame. "It's a natural fit to have an iconic British actor star in an iconic British tale," Griggs told Variety. "I had Ricky in mind for this role from the inception of this project." Peter Jackson's Weta visual effects (more)...

'I had Ricky in mind for this role from the inception of the project,' says director behind new take on Kenneth Grahame's classic

Ricky Gervais is to voice the character of Mole in a new live-action/animatronic version of The Wind in the Willows. Directed by Ray Griggs, whose previous credits include a superhero comedy called Super Capers and a documentary titled I Want Your Money (both unreleased in the UK), the latest adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's pastoral classic will be penned by Bill Marsilii, who wrote time-travelling crime-solving Denzel Washington vehicle Deja Vu.

"It's a natural fit to have an iconic British actor star in an iconic British tale," Griggs said. "I had Ricky in mind for this role from the inception of this project." Mole is the peaceable home-lover whose boredom with his spring cleaning triggers an adventure with Badger, Ratty and Toad. Other casting has yet to be announced.

Ricky Gervais will voice the character of Mole in the upcoming independent live-action/animatronic feature "The Wind in the Willows" for Rg Entertainment reports Variety.

The story follows "the anthropomorphised Mole as he ventures out from his underground home for the first time and encounters many a strange creature, including the water-loving Rat; the knowledgeable but curmudgeonly Badger; and the rich, jovial, but utterly foolish Toad."

Bill Marsilii ("Deja Vu") penned this $30 million adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 literary classic and Ray Griggs is directing. Weta will be handling the visual effects with pre-production beginning this year in New Zealand.

'Willows' has been adapted numerous times for television and film. A Ranknin/Bass 1987 animated feature, a film adaptation in 1996 featuring much of the Monty Python gang, and a BBC TV movie adaptation in 2006. The most famous was a 52 episodes TV series done with stop-motion animation that ran from 1984-1990.

Last June, we reported on director Ray Griggs’ plan to bring Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows back to the big screen with yet another version, this time aided by the effects wizards at Weta. Now he’s announced the first actor adding their voice to the blend of live-action and animatronics: Ricky Gervais, who has signed on to play Mole.“It’s a natural fit to have an iconic British actor star in an iconic British tale,” Griggs tells Variety. “I had Ricky in mind for this role from the inception of the project.” Bet Gervais is delighted to think that someone goes straight to “sounds a lot like a mole” when considering their accomplishments.Despite a thrifty $30 million budget rustled up from independent investors by Griggs’ Rg Entertainment company, the producers clearly have big plans for the Willows story, which will maintain the usual quartet of chatty creatures including Mole,...

For as incredibly funny as he is, Ricky Gervais has never had much domestic box office success as a lead actor. Since 2008, Gervais has been the star of two films, Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying, but neither project was able to make more than $20 million. Here's hoping that The Wind In The Willows can do better, considering that Gervais has just landed a role. Variety reports that the actor has signed on to play the Mole in the Ray Griggs-directed adaptation, that will blend live-action and animatronics. The Office creator is the first actor added to the cast, as the film is set to go into pre-production this year. The report states that more casting will be announced shortly. In the film, based on the beloved Kenneth Grahame story, four friends - Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad - join together when their home is threatened by mankind.

We've already seen an early promo teaser trailer for Weta Workshop's adaptation of The Wind and the Willows which will use a combination of live-action and animatronic. Then we sat down with Weta's own Richart Taylor for a chat about his work on the film and other projects. Now we finally have some acting talent attached to the adaptation as Variety reports Ricky Gervais (The Invention of Lying) will lead the film as the voice of Mole, the main character in a quartet of talking animals that also includes Rat, Badger and Toad. We'll likely find out the names behind those other characters soon enough, but Gervais trademark voice is a hell of a way to kick things off. The Kenneth Grahame written story has seen several film iterations like Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toad in 1949. It follows the four aforementioned animals who must join forces...

Variety report that actor/comedian Ricky Gervais has signed on to voice the lead character of Mole in the upcoming live-action/animatronics adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame classic children’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop will be handling the film’s special effects, Ray Griggs will direct, and Bill Marsilii (Deja Vu) has penned...

Ricky Gervais, the marmite comedian, loved and loathed in equal measure. We personally love the guy’s work here at Owf, and my iPod in particular has basically become an exclusive Gervais/Merchant/Pilkie audio player. Anyway, no-one could accuse him of laziness. He’s is always busying himself, whether it be writing new stuff for telly, stand-up, film, podcasts, audiobooks, producing, generally winding up his round-headed, real-life Homer Simpson (Karl) and now he can add woodland creature to his ever increasing list of achievements.

Variety say Gervais will voice the lead character Mole in Rg Entertainment’s live action/animatronic adaptation of the beloved childrens tale The Wind In The Willows written by Kenneth Grahame and adapted countless times across all mediums. The movie was conceived with the hope Gervais would agree to voice Mole, and he has.

Ray Griggs (I Want Your Money) is directing and Bill Marsilii...

Ricky Gervais will voice the lead character of Mole in The Wind in the Willows , reports Variety . The independent live-action/animatronic feature is directed by Ray Griggs. Pre-production will begin this year in New Zealand, where Griggs will be working with Peter Jackson's visual effects company Weta. Bill Marsilii ( Deja Vu ) wrote the adaptation of the classic novel by Kenneth Grahame which is described as follows: When Mole ventures out of his lonely home for the first time, he finds a world of new friendships and breathless adventure waiting for him in the land of the Willows. From the joys of boating on the river, to Mr. Toad's unbelievable antics at Toad Hall... from the dark terrors of the Wild Wood and beyond, to the forbidden land of the Humans... Mole, Rat,...

I first heard about this teaser trailer when I stumbled across an article about how fans are mystified and more than a little outraged to see how dark and grim and Tim Burton-y is Weta’s adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s bright and jaunty book. Having now seen the teaser, I have to agree. What are these people thinking? Of course, Peter Jackson doesn’t have anything to do with this, though the sunny pastoral quality of his version of the Shire would seem to be exactly what a Willows film would need. And the bizarreness of the animation, not to mention its frankly amateur quality, make more “sense,” of a kind, when you learn that this is being directed by Ray Griggs, who made the appallingly amateurish Super Capers as well as the weird animated short “Lucifer.”...

Last week we posted concept art and a promo teaser trailer for Peter Jackson's Weta's (Lord of the Rings, District 9) live-action and animatronics adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic book The Wind in the Willows.On the Comic-Con show floor, I was able to find more designs and maquettes for the upcoming adaptation at the Weta booth. Hit the jump to see more photos. They also have announced The Wind and the Willows bookends, which use the same designs: Previously: The story follows four anthropomorphized characters in a classic pastoral English countryside, an yes, it has been adapted to the screen many times before. But this time around they are using Weta to provide a suite of animatronic effects to bring the animal characters to life. Weta's Richard Taylor is overseeing the effects. Taylor should be familiar to many as the man behind a lot of the effects...

Rg Entertainment and Weta Workshop are developing a live-action / animatronic adaptation of Kenneth Grahame‘s classic tale from 1908, The Wind in the Willows. Ray Griggs will direct and produce the $30 million film, Richard Taylor will handle special effects, and Kim Sinclair will be production designer working from a script penned by Bill Marsilii.

Check out the teaser trailer and teaser poster below!

Teaser Trailer: The Wind in the Willows

About The Wind In The Willows

When Mole ventures out of his lonely home for the first time, he finds a world of new friendships, gentle wonders and breathless adventure waiting for him in the land of the Willows. From the joys of boating on the River, to Mr. Toad’s unbelievable antics at Toad Hall… from the dark terrors of the Wild Wood and beyond, to the forbidden land of the Humans… Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad will soon find that they must join forces,...

Sweeeeeeeeeet. The image above is pulled from the newly launched official website for the 2012 adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's wonderful book, "The Wind in the Willows," adapted and directed by Ray Griggs. New Zealand-based effects studio Weta, founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk in 1993, is handling the visuals for the CG-animated flick. The story follows four animal friends, one of whom is named Toad (guess which animal he is). Toad loves automobiles and is a very, very dangerous driver. He's also the inspiration for Disney World's greatest ride ever, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

The teaser that you can view at the website linked above gives you a first look at Toad and not much else. There's no story, no dialogue, no anything... just a flying camera and a dark, woodland setting. It's enough for me though-- I look forward to seeing more. What do you readers think?...

Here's the first look at Weta's (Lord of the Rings, District 9) adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic book 'The Wind in the Willows.' Directed by Ray Griggs and written by Bill Marsili with Weta's Richard Taylor overseeing the effects.

When Mole ventures out of his lonely home for the first time, he finds a world of new friendships, gentle wonders and breathless adventure waiting for him in the land of the Willows. From the joys of boating on the River, to Mr. Toad's unbelievable antics at Toad Hall... from the dark terrors of the Wild Wood and beyond, to the forbidden land of the Humans... Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad will soon find that they must join forces, in a quest to save their homes from a sinister plot that could cost them their lives - and that could indeed bring about the destruction of the Willows itself.

Whoa, wait just a minute. It was barely even a month ago that we first reported that a new Wind in the Willows movie, using a combination of live-action and animatronics, was in the works at Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop down in New Zealand. Considering movies made like that usually take a very long time to come together, I didn't expect to see anything from it for a while, but I'm surprised to say otherwise today. SlashFilm discovered that an early promo teaser trailer for Weta's The Wind in the Willows is available on the film's official website. It's only an early animated promo, while actual filming will start later this year. Watch the early promo teaser for Weta's The Wind in the Willows: [flv:http://media2.slashfilm.com/slashfilm/trailers/willows_trailer.flv http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img/windwillows-promotrailerlogo.jpg 560 302] The Wind in the Willows is the classic Kenneth Grahame fairy tale that has been adapted many times before, probably most memorably by Disney...

Rg Entertainment, Ltd. have posted the first teaser trailer and poster for their live action / animatronic adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s beloved novel, The Wind in the Willows.

Following the announcement in June that Weta were developing, this is our first look at the film, which is being directed by Ray Griggs from a script by Bill Marsili.

Weta and Ray Griggs will have a stall at Comic-Con, so it’s possible more images, and maybe even an official synopsis, will be revealed at the event.

Despite not showing much, the trailer indicates the film will be unique in style, while combining technology used in such films as Lord of the Rings and District 9 to put a new spin on the classic tale.

Considering it’s estimated budget is only $30 million, it looks breathtaking. Even more so with the knowledge most animation films these days are made with ridiculous amounts of money.

Hey gang! A couple months ago it was announced that Peter Jackson's special effects company Weta was developing a new a new live-action/animatronics film adaptation of the classic Kenneth Grahame children's novel Wind in the Willows. 

The movie is being directed by Ray Griggs, off of a script written by Bill Marshall. Weta's Richard Taylor is handling the films effects. He's the same guy that was behind the effects in films such as Lord of the Rings, District 9, King Kong, and several other films. Needless to say that this movie is definitely going to look good.

Synopsis:

When Mole ventures out of his lonely home for the first time, he finds a world of new friendships, gentle wonders and breathless adventure waiting for him in the land of the Willows. From the joys of boating on the River, to Mr. Toad's unbelievable antics at Toad Hall... from...

Back in June, it was announced that Peter Jackson's Weta (Lord of the Rings, District 9) was developing a live-action and animatronics adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic book The Wind in the Willows. The story follows four anthropomorphized characters in a classic pastoral English countryside, an yes, it has been adapted to the screen many times before. But this time around they are using Weta to provide a suite of animatronic effects to bring the animal characters to life. Weta's Richard Taylor is overseeing the effects. Taylor should be familiar to many as the man behind a lot of the effects in The Lord of the Rings, as well as many other films. Directed by Ray Griggs and written by Bill Marsili (Lightspeed), the $30m production is scheduled to shoot this fall. But there is already some concept art and a promo teaser trailer online. Hit the jump!

London, June 20 – Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson’s company is set to give classic children’s tale ‘Wind In The Willows’ the blockbuster treatment.

Jackson’s Weta Workshop special effects company has signed up to create a 20-million-pound film adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s work.

The story will elaborate on the 1908 original book’s plot and depict talking animals Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad banding together to save their riverbank home from a sinister plan.

The movie will combine actors in animal costumes with computer effects.

“Fans should be in.