Things are progressing swiftly on
Bryan Singers adaptation of classic Cornish folk tale
Jack the Giant Killer with filming just days away and the latest name to have put pen to paper on a deal according to
THR is avuncular lothario
Ian McShane. He will play King Brahmwell, the ruler of the fantasy kingdom where the fantasy film is set. Still best known in his native United Kingdom as the roguish antiques dealer Lovejoy in the series of the same name, he can now attribute his stardom to his role in HBOs Deadwood as Al Swearangen, for which he received a Golden Globe. Since then he has been making his way into feature films at a sprightly sixty eight years of age, and has landed a key part in the latest installation of the diabolical mega-franchise, Pirates of the Carribean (of which he looks the only tolerable aspect). The plot of Jack the Giant Killer should be familiar to everyone but briefly - screenwriter
Darren Lemke (Lost) has scribed a political interpretation of the classic tale in which a peace between humans and giants is jeopardised by the kidnapping of a kings (McShane) daughter (newcomer
Eleanor Tomlinson) and the rescue attempt made by Jack (
Nicholas Hoult).
Ewan McGregor is the Captain of the King's Guard,
Stanley Tucci a Grima Wormtongue style adviser to the King, whilst
Bill Nighy and
John Kassir are the two-headed giant leader. The film is being produced Neal Mortiz and David Dobkin at New Line and Legendary Pictures. Expect this one to land next year, we've heard potentially in August.