Not a day goes by when the Internet doesn’t take a moment to commemorate some national or international ‘Day Of’, with occasions ranging from National Chocolate Cupcake Day to something a bit more poignant like National Coming Out Day. That just so happens to be today, October 11, but it isn’t the only occasion to get some recognition online.
That’s because October 11 also marks National Face Your Fears Day in select countries across the globe and in a bid to seize the opportunity, Focus Features has conjured up an all-new promo for A Monster Calls, offering up our best look at Liam Neeson’s ancient Yew tree yet.
Tackling themes of love, courage, loss and faith, Patrick Ness’ bestseller is brought to life in stunning fashion here, anchored by strong performances from soon-to-be Rogue One lead Felicity Jones and Lewis MacDougall – the real star of the show – as troubled 12-year-old Conor. Toby Kebbell, Sigourney Weaver, and Geraldine Chaplin round out that ensemble, with the latter poised to reunite with Bayona after The Orphanage.
Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and acting as a fitting primer ahead of the filmmaker’s voyage to Jurassic World 2 in 2018, A Monster Calls will stomp into select theaters first on December 23, before expanding nationwide on January 6, 2017. Early reviews predict that the film will be lobbying for awards when the time comes, even if our own Matt Donato expressed some criticisms coming out of the worldwide premiere at TIFF.
A visually spectacular drama from the acclaimed The Orphanage and The Impossible helmer Juan Antonio Bayona, A Monster Calls is based on the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. The story concerns 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) as he attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith.