Spielberg
takes on daunting challenge to bring 'The BFG' to life
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[July 01, 2016]
(Reuters) - Steven
Spielberg has rarely shied away from a challenge, from
deadly sharks in "Jaws" to resurrecting dinosaurs in
"Jurassic Park," but when it came to creating a giant
for "The BFG," his latest film, the veteran director
found the prospect "very daunting."
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"I don't usually get intimidated by technology," Spielberg
told Reuters TV.
"I usually try and be at the forefront of technology, but this
time I was in the wake of it. It took me a couple of weeks to
get my sea legs to really realize how I could best utilize the
medium of motion capture."
"The BFG," a Walt Disney film out in theaters on Friday, tells
the story of Sophie, an orphaned girl who encounters the Big
Friendly Giant (BFG), played by Oscar-winning British actor Mark
Rylance and brought to life using motion-capture animation.
The title character of Walt Disney Co's "The BFG," based on
British author Roald Dahl's book of the same name, is no
ordinary giant. He doesn't eat children, unlike his fellow
giants, and instead collects and creates dreams to spread
through the country under the cover of nighttime.
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"Every film of a book brings out a certain essential thing of
the book," Rylance said. "In film you need experience and plot.
So it's very faithful to the book, but it's a different creature
than the book."
When Sophie, played by newcomer Ruby Barnhill, sees the BFG one
night, he takes her back to his home in the land of giants out
of fear that she might give away his secret.
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The plucky girl quickly becomes a friend and confidante to help the
kind, gentle giant from being bullied by his larger, uncultured
brethren.
"The BFG" marks the 30th feature film by the 69-year-old Spielberg,
who has won three Oscars over a career spanning five decades that
includes "Indiana Jones," "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private
Ryan." Spielberg will be returning for the fifth installment of
"Indiana Jones" with star Harrison Ford, due for release in 2019.
"I get really flattered when people like my films but I can never
see the films the way they can," he said. "I am never going to enjoy
my own output the way other people can."
(Reporting by Sarah Mills for Reuters TV; Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy
in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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