Opening this weekend is a film that might just be your dark horse candidate for "Best Comic Book Adaptation of the Year." No, it's not one of the stories of caped superheroes hailing from either Marvel or DC Comics, nor is it a big-budget production from a major studio. But the fact that I Kill Giants might not yet be on your radar actually plays to the smaller film's benefit because there's a much better chance you'll be surprised by the story's heart, imagination, and incredibly compelling characters. You can get a hint of what you're in store for in this tale of magical realism by checking out this exclusive clip and the film's trailer.

The talent behind the story started with writer Joe Kelly, part of the wildly successful media company Man of Action, and co-creator/illustrator J.M. Ken Niimura whose Eisner Award-nominated, limited series Image Comics run began 10 years ago. Now, it's a major motion picture helmed by Oscar-winner Anders Walter (Helium), and starring Madison Wolfe alongside Zoe SaldanaImogen Poots, Sydney Wade, and Jennifer Ehle in a stellar, nearly all-female cast. I had a chance to chat with Kelly and Niimura about their story's journey to the big screen and how it evolved along the way, plus more about their upcoming projects.

i-kill-giants-interview-joe-kelly-ken-niimura
Image via Image Comics

First of all, congratulations on the movie! I found it to be a highly entertaining fantasy adventure that deftly walked the line between the magical and the real, similar to stories like Where the Wild Things Are.

Joe Kelly: Thank you! We’re very proud of the film and all of the hard work that everyone put into it. You hear it said all the time, but making I Kill Giants truly was a labor of love.

For the both of you, what was your reaction to seeing the finished film?

Ken Niimura: It’s been a long production, and the movie business is a tough world, so you never know if it’ll really be finalized at any point, so we tried hard not to get too excited about the idea. It was only when the lights went out that I actually realized - they had made a movie based on our comic!

Also, it’s only when you watch the final version that everyone (actors, crew…) can really see what the filmmaker was going for. I was really moved and respect Anders’ vision a lot.

Kelly: It’s been a long-time dream of mine to see one of my scripts brought to life in film, so that fact that I Kill Giants was the one that made it to the finish line was the cherry on top. I love the film. Much like the book, I think that it’s unexpected and really rewards the audience for going on Barbara’s journey. I can’t wait for folks to experience it.

Was it always your intention to bring the story of I Kill Giants to the big screen?

Niimura: Joe had been working on the comic at the same time as the movie script, but personally, I wasn’t really thinking about it – we had a whole comic to create!

Kelly: When I first had the idea for the story I was obsessed with it. After writing the comic, since I didn’t have an artist at the time, I dove right in to a screenplay version. The funny thing is that over the years, the notes I received on the film script made their way into the comic and vice versa, so I probably did a half-dozen drafts before the book was drawn.

i-kill-giants-movie-interview-joe-kelly-ken-niimura
Image via Image Comics

How much changed between the graphic novel story and the movie’s script?

Kelly: The story is fully intact. The changes are all in how Barbara’s internal life is externalized. In comics, we can play with form in such a way that if she speaks to fairies or things happen in front of other characters, we can still maintain the “Is it real or not?” question.

In a film, though, certain bits are complete “giveaways” in one direction or the other. It was critical to Anders and myself to maintain that question for the audience, so all of the changes are meant to keep them guessing and keep Barbara’s reality intact.

And, of course, budget and time always play a factor so some scenes I love were cut for those reasons. That said, since I was the one who did all of the cutting, I was okay with it.

Niimura: There have been certain elements that weren’t included in the movie, and extra scenes written, too. Comics are a medium where it all happens in the reader's head, so some things just won’t feel right. All of these changes were ultimately made to preserve the story’s essence, so I was really happy they did them!

How involved were you with the casting process? What was your reaction to seeing your characters come to life?

Niimura: I chose not to be involved in the casting as every actress considering a role would leave me sleepless for two days… only to find out that she had changed her mind (two other sleepless nights, this time with a broken heart).

Drawing characters is in a way performing them too, but they’re all based on one single person’s experience. When we got to see Madison, Sydney, Zoe and Imogen in action on the movie set though, it was so impressive seeing all the depth and truth they were adding to the characters.

They weren’t characters anymore, they had made them three-dimensional people.

i-kill-giants-movie-interview-joe-kelly-ken-niimura
Image via RLJE Films

Kelly: I came in when the casting pool for Barbara was whittled down from over 500 to about 25. I love casting, actually, but was happy that Anders did the heavy lifting. He didn’t tell me his top choice, but when I saw Madison and said, “She is Barbara,” he’d come to the same conclusion. I also saw the tapes for Sophia and again agreed with Anders that Sydney was amazing. They are both powerhouses and wonderful young ladies in real life.

Anders reached out directly to Zoe and Imogen, which was fantastic. They are forces of nature and are so wonderful in the film. Zoe in particular was attached early on and really helped keep the movie in the front of people’s minds during financing, etc. She was a true champion for the film.

As to seeing them on the screen, it’s surreal and wonderful. Couldn’t be more pleased.

Were there any particular creatures, human characters, or settings you were impressed by, as far as their translation from page-to-screen?

Niimura: All the creatures were so much fun to see! I love as much the similarities to the comic as the new things they added.

Kelly: Considering that the book is set on the North Shore of Long Island and we shot it in Ireland and Belgium, I’m amazed overall at the look of the film!

Seeing the Harbingers come to life was a treat as we were on set when they shot those scenes. Those actors worked VERY hard, as their bodies are practical costumes on stilts. And the Titan… Whoa! And Coveleski!!! Too cool.

And as I already said, each of our actors are so wonderful that it was amazing to see scenes Ken had drawn come to life with such heart and passion.

i-kill-giants-movie-interview-joe-kelly-ken-niimura
Image via Image Comics

Similar books and films deal with things like difficult childhoods and real-life devastating events. What sets I Kill Giants apart?

Kelly: We hope that audiences who are not familiar with the book will get a chance to go along Barbara’s journey sight unseen. I know it’s the 21st century but hopefully folks will go in clean. Fans of the book are very cool when they share it with new readers. They all say, “Just read it.” It’s awesome.

So, that said, I think we have a few major differences:

Niimura: Barbara! She’s a total badass.

Kelly: Yes, Barbara as a character is the main one. Besides being a badass, her approach to dealing with the heavy stuff personally is directly connected to who she is as a character – strong-willed, into fantasy, etc. She is of such a single purpose and we are 99% of the time watching events unfold from her POV. We don’t get to know what’s happening until she is ready to admit what’s happening, so I think for the duration of the film or graphic novel, the audience is Barbara.

Also, most of our cast is female and every character shows strength in one way or another during time of crisis. I didn’t realize until well after the book had come out that in a lot of ways my subconscious was pulling at Kiki’s Delivery Service, where Kiki is restored to her best self through interactions with positive women. That said, the book and the film resonate across age and gender lines, which makes us very proud.

What inspired the story and the look of I Kill Giants?

Niimura: The look is a blend of the comics, movies and games I’ve been exposed to since I was a kid. There’s some Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), a touch of European comics, and a zest of Fumito Ueda (Shadow of the Colossus).

Kelly: A bit of a spoiler here (highlight to read): When I was in my 30s, my father was hospitalized with Diabetes and wound up losing a leg after an almost 6 month stay in the hospital.

I was also a young father with a precocious daughter and started to wonder what she might be like if she was faced with something unthinkable. Especially if she was also a nerd like me. Hence, Barbara was born and her story began.

i-kill-giants
Image via RLJE Films

Are there any plans or even inklings of revisiting Barbara’s story, perhaps later in her life, a little further on down the road?

Niimura: We believe Barbara’s story ends in this book, so although it could have made sense commercially to revisit the character, we’ve chosen to start working on a totally new project, the one story we think we should be putting right now out in the world. It’ll be a totally different thing altogether, but we hope it’ll reach the readers the way I Kill Giants did.

Kelly: There was a brief period of time where I considered a sequel. It was heartbreaking on a level I don’t even like to consider and so I decided that it would be someone else’s story someday.

Also, I love magical realism, and for me, I Kill Giants is a story where the universe cracks open in order to give Barbara what she needs to conquer her demons. (The audience is welcome to their own interpretation, of course!) But that being the case, I think the universe only gives you a gift like that one time, so Barbara’s story is contained here.

What other projects do the two of you have in the works?

Niimura: I’m currently publishing online my new ongoing series “Umami” through www.panelsyndicate.com. It’s the story of a kingdom in trouble, and two cooks who use their culinary skills to save the day!

Kelly: As part of Man of Action we have a lot happening: New Ben 10, a Mega Man series, two video games and other stuff I can’t mention yet. As Ken mentioned before we’re working on a new graphic novel right now, and we have a Blackjack story coming out in Japan that I’m psyched about. I shot a short film a little while back and want to direct another one, so I’m working on some scripts for that as well as feature length projects. No rest for the wicked!

Look for I Kill Giants in theaters and online this weekend!

i-kill-giants-poster
Image via RLJE Films