Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm isn’t within spitting distance of the director’s salad days material, but it still remains an enjoyable bit of fantastical hoopla. Expect the “enjoyable” element to be effectively excised when the duo of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm return for more adventures in a planned television series based on their stories, which will be backed by Miramax. The company has tapped none other than Ehren Kruger, the “writer” behind the last three Transformers movies, which would mean he’s penned three of the worst films of this decade. Kruger got his start with far more provocative fair like Arlington Road and Gore Verbinski’s surprisingly strong The Ring, but his recent work has proven intensely laborious, dull, and devoid of personality. No word yet on who will be stepping into the roles of the famed fairy-tale writer-heroes, or when production on the series will begin.
For now, you can watch the trailer for Gilliam’s original film here:
And here’s the full press release from Miramax:
SANTA MONICA, CA (March 19, 2015) – Miramax announced today that it has hired screenwriter Ehren Kruger to create a new series for television based on “The Brothers Grimm.” Kruger, whose prolific screenwriting credits include The Ring and the last three films in the Transformers franchise, will build off the origin story introduced in his screenplay for the 2005 feature film The Brothers Grimm starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger that grossed over $105 million globally. The new television series will follow the swashbuckling adventures of brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, who discover startling mythology and supernatural stakes behind the folklore sweeping 19th century Europe.
Miramax Vice President of Television Daniel Pipski identified the project as a potential television series from Miramax’s expansive library of titles and brought it to Zanne Devine, Miramax’s Executive Vice President of Film & TV. Said Devine, “The tales of the Brothers Grimm are beloved around the world and offer an endless well of story and character to draw from. It’s a natural fit for television.”
Added Pipski, “We reached out to Ehren Kruger and producing partner Daniel Bobker to see if they had any interest in making The Brothers Grimm movie into a TV show and the pitch Ehren came back with blew us away. We’re thrilled to be working with a writer of his caliber.”
Kruger commented, "The original stories the Brothers set out to collect were not for the faint of heart and we'll be making a show that gets back to those origins and their cautionary, scary, thrilling spirit."
Kruger and Bobker will executive produce “The Brothers Grimm” television series under their Bobker/Kruger Films banner alongside Devine and Pipski for Miramax.