The dynamic duo of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh who were responsible for the epic "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film franchises are gearing up to return to the big screen wiith MRC and Universal Pictures' "Mortal Engines." The film will be an adaptation of the award-winning science-fiction book series by author Philip Reeve.
According to Variety, Universal sets the film to make its way on the silver screen on Dec 14, 2018. The December 2018 film schedule seems to be turning into a competitive one, as the "Avatar" sequel by director James Cameron is slated to come out on theaters on Dec. 21, and the highly- anticipated "Star Wars: Episode 8."
Peter Jackson's "Mortal Engines" will be set in a dystopian future, where Earth's cities are able to move around on huge wheels. Their mobility allows them to battle each other for the very limited resources available on Earth at that time. The film will be a story about two unlikely heroes coming together and changing the course of their world's future. "Mortal Engines" is based on a best-selling book series written by Philip Reeve.
Philippa Boyens joins Jackson and Walsh, as he has always done in the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films where he served as co-producer. Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker and Deborah Forte are also brought in to produce, while Ken Kamins will serve as executive producer. Universal has set "Mortal Engines" to be distributed worldwide.
The month of December seems to be Peter Jackson's favorite stomping ground. As all of his other trilogies such as "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies have graced the screen at the time to financial success.
Also, the world seems to be ready for another good film that lives in a dystopian setting since "The Matrix." The release schedule and tone of the film would be a formula Jackson that could work, and with his name attached to "Mortal Engines," the film could very well be an upcoming box-office juggernaut.