Books to Read Before Their Fall Movie Releases
9. A Monster Calls (December 23rd)
(Based on the novel by Patrick Ness)
What: Connor (Lewis MacDougall) is a twelve year old boy who makes friends with the monster that comes to visit him at night (who looks like a mix of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy and Treebeard from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and is voiced by Liam Neeson) to help him cope with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) terminal illness, a class bully, and a not so understanding grandmother (Sigourney Weaver).
Why We’re Excited: This film has been generating great buzz already, so much so that according to Deadline its release date was moved from October to December to give it a wider holiday audience and perhaps a better chance for awards season. The film is being directed by J.A. Bayona who has been chosen to direct the sequel to Jurassic World and who is also known for the haunting Spanish film The Orphanage. Bayona’s magical realistic style has been compared to fellow Spanish director Guillermo del Toro which makes him a perfect fit to adapt this film.
A Monster Calls also continues the year of Felicity Jones. This is her second film on this list and that is without even mentioning her role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Next: Shonda Rhimes strikes again