Director Tim Burton is back with a new surreal tale, starring familiar actors Eva Green and Samuel L Jackson
Photos: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
A Tim Burton film without Johnny Depp? It may take some getting used to, but this upcoming film by the famously quirky director presents a change of scenery that could prove refreshing.
The story follows typical American teen Jake (Asa Butterfield), an awkward boy who can’t connect with anyone except his grandfather. But when the old man suddenly passes, Jake sets off on a journey that leads him to the mysterious Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
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Powerfully peculiar
Miss Peregrine, the protector of the Peculiars, possesses powers as well. She is an “ymbrine” that can manipulate time and transmogrify into a bird, and she is a maternal figure to her wards – but don’t underestimate her.
Green calls her character a “dark Mary Poppins-like figure” who is “ballsy and a warrior”. Burton concurs, nicknaming her “Scary Poppins”.
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Although the Home is a safe space, there lurks an evil force waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Says Burton, “[Among] the Peculiars, some are trying, not with the best of intentions, to attain immortality. But they end up turning into monsters.”
This villain appears as Barron, a sinister shapeshifter who is dead set on hunting down the Peculiars for the key to immortality. He is played by the famous Samuel L Jackson (Django Unchained, Kingsman: The Secret Service), whom Burton had in mind for the role from the start.
Jackson shares, “Tim and I understood that we didn’t want to make Barron overly sinister… I wanted to play against that and see how much fun we could have with him.”
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