Ever wish you would be ripped out of your bedroom in the grip of a giant monster? Yeah, neither have we, but then, we’re not the protagonist of A Monster Calls, the feature-film adaptation of the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. The book is about a bullied 12-year-old kid who tries to cope with his mother’s illness and his schoolyard adversaries by turning to supernatural means. Of course, this teaser doesn’t hint at much beyond the bullying and the whole “here’s the monster you ordered” scenario. What it does provide, however, is the voice of Liam Neeson, rumbling in such low, gravely tones, he comes close to sounding like a motor trying to turn over. The adaptation comes to you from J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, The Impossible), so it should be visually striking, and probably well worth seeing. Here’s hoping the “children’s story” aspect of this doesn’t neuter Bayona’s normally strong narrative chops. A Monster Calls is still a year away from hitting theaters, so you’ve got plenty of time to discuss whether the movie of The BFG will be the superior “child grabbed from his room during the witching hour” film.
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