It is settled and officially acclaimed: DreamWorks studios have announced the participation of the British actor Mark Rylance in Steven Spielberg’s movie, The BFG – short for Big Friendly Giant – is based on a children’s book written by Roald Dahl. The film will be at the public’s reach in 2016. Only a three-time Tony award winner such as Rylance can deal with such an antagonistic character: tall, frightening and malicious on the outside, but a tiny little cuddly mouse, with desires to change the entire world in a better place, on the inside.
The story written by Roald Dahl centers around the eponymous character, the Big Friendly Giant. Although seemingly malicious, the BFG befriends a little orphan girl named Sophie and they both embark on many adventures. Furthermore, the 2 characters are accompanied by the Queen of England (based on Elisabeth II). The BFG’s main ability is to collect and distribute good dreams to children.
Luke Kelly, Dahl’s grandson, expresses his raised enthusiasm about the implication of Mark Rylace in Spielberg’s latest movie: ‘’Mark is incredibly talented, one of the great British actors working today. I’ve had the privilege of seeing Mark perform, and the thought of watching him transform into ‘the only nice and jumbly Giant in Giant Country’ is, as the BFG himself might say, absolutely phizz-whizzing.”
As thrilled about the English actor’s alliance with the new movie as Dahl’s BFG is the movies’ industry genius, director Steven Spielberg. According to a quote from The Guardian, Spielberg believes that “Mark Rylance is a transformational actor. I am excited and thrilled that Mark will be making this journey with us to Giant Country. Everything about his career so far is about making the courageous choice and I’m honoured he has chosen The BFG as his next big screen performance.”
Mark Rylance is appreciated both on stage and on the big screen. On one hand, he is known as a Shakespearian actor and he served as an artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from 1996-2006. On the other hand, the British actor is part of another Steven Spielberg production, dealing with a Cold War situation and entitled St. James Place. Rylance is also famous for parts in movies such as Intimacy (2001), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), or Angels and Insects (1995).