Can you pull yourself back to the days of imaginary friends, unbiased dreams, and forevers? Before your lines were colored in with adulthood? The time when minds are filled with unknowing wonderment and anything was real. Unicorns, fire breathing dragons, and even giants. Three of the world’s greatest storytellers, Roald Dahl, Walt Disney, and Steven Spielberg, have united to take us back to those days with The BFG that hits theaters on July 1st.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
Based on the trailers, The BFG looks impressive in both story and visuals. Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s “The BFG”
tells the imaginative story of a 10-year-old Sophie, and the 24-foot all Big Friendly Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.
“I think it was kind of genius of Roald Dahl to be able to empower the children. It was very, very brave of him to introduce that combination of darkness and light which was so much Disney’s original signature in a lot of their earlier works like in ‘Dumbo,’ ‘Fantasia,’ ‘Snow White’ and ‘Cinderella,’ and being able to do scary, but also be redemptive at the same time and teach a lesson, an enduring lesson, to everyone, it was a wonderful thing for Dahl to have done, and it was one of the things that attracted me to want to direct this Dahl book.” – Steven Spielberg.
BFG is played by Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), and we get to see more of this endearingly, dimwitted, enormous eared giant in the new The BFG trailer that was recently released. This is a rare sighting as the BFG usually keeps to himself for the most part. 😉
Other giants in the BFG include Bloodbottler (played by Bill Hader from Inside Out) and Fleshlumpeater (played by Jemaine Clement from Rio 2). The difference between these giants and Big Friendly Giant,is that these guys are twice as big, at least twice as scary, and have been known to eat humans. Yuck! Thankfully, the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle so we can still be friends.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
“It’s a story about friendship.” – Steven Spielberg
While the BFG may be frighteningly tall and his sexy side is lacking, he is actually quite gentle and charming. Sophie realizes this after BFG takes her to his cave Giant Country, and as any inquisitive child, she has loads of questions. Seriously, if I met a giant I would want to know how far they can see, how long it takes them to bend over and tie their shows, and how on earth their mother birthed them! 😀
“It’s a story about loyalty.” – Steven Spielberg
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
While Sophie and the BFG are getting to know each other, BFG brings her to Dream Country, where he collects dreams and sends them to children. He teachers her all about the magic and mystery of dreams and now I’m all kinds of jealous of Sophie. Magic and dreams and giants – how much luckier can one kid get?! Actually maybe not so lucky as Sophie’s presence in Giant Country attracts the unwanted attention of the other giants. Yep, you guessed it, they aren’t happy in a big way. Sophie and the BFG head to London to see the Queen (played by Penelope Wilton from Downton Abbey) and warn her of the precarious giant situation. There is a little situation they must handle first……convincing the Queen and her maid, Mary (played by Rebecca Hall from Iron Man 3), that giants do indeed exist.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
“It’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” – Steven Spielberg
Originally created as a bedtime story, Roald Dahl’s “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) was first published in 1982 and was Dahl’s own favorite out of all of his stories. If you haven’t read it, or want to reread it, you can grab a copy on Amazon.com – it’s a great Summer read!
The BFG hits theaters on July 1st, 2016, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth!
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Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
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