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The UK has a long history with fantasy novelists. When one thinks of some of modern literature's greatest fantasy tales, one may think of the works of Neil Gaiman or C.S. Lewis, proving just how integral the United Kingdom is to this genre of storytelling. One name in this genre that stands out above the rest is the late Terry Pratchett, whose bibliography continues to stand the test of time. With a career spanning over 40 years, Pratchett dedicated his life's work to fantasy literature, with his Discworld series of 41 novels synonymous with both him and the fantasy genre itself. With millions of fans worldwide, and a back catalog of novels larger than most libraries, it can be a difficult task to pick just one of his works as a favorite. This is where on-screen adaptations come in, helping to differentiate between his best works and shine a light on potentially lesser-known pieces of art made by such an incredibly gifted novelist. One of these pieces is his 2001 children's fantasy novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. As the 28th of the 41 Discworld novels and a debut in the series for children's literature, the novel won the annual Carnegie Award, which was in fact the first major award ever won by Pratchett. And the book is now getting the animated feature film treatment with The Amazing Maurice, coming to you this year.
Some fans of Pratchett would suggest this adaptation has been far too long in the making, but with patience can often come success. With an announced cast list as strong as many Oscar contenders, and with an animation style that will capture the imagination of children across the world, the film is becoming the one to watch as we move closer to its release date. So, with that in mind, here is everything we know about The Amazing Maurice... so far.
Editor's Note: This article was last updated on January 22 with a new clip and the updated US release date.
Is There A Trailer For The Amazing Maurice?
Often a trailer is crucial for audiences to decide whether they will buy a cinema ticket. In the case of the trailer for The Amazing Maurice, it may have just caused many more to put their hands in their pockets and purchase a seat for opening night. Showcasing the meta-narrative style and witty humor experienced in the novel, the trailer looks like it will be enjoyable for the whole family, and with a crisp animation style backing it up, the movie looks like it will excite the child in all who watch it. The other main takeaway from the trailer is the cast, with the trailer putting much emphasis on just how talented the ensemble voices are. More recently, we also got a clip from the movie, which you can see below:
When and Where Is The Amazing Maurice Releasing?
As a British production, the film's initial release was on Sky Cinema in the UK on December 9, 2022. For a short period, there was no information regarding a worldwide release but, back in August 2022, that changed with the announcement that Viva Kids Distribution had acquired the rights to the film. The Amazing Maurice is now scheduled to hit theaters in the US on February 3, 2023 (it was originally expected to release on January 6).
What Is The Amazing Maurice About?
The official plot synopsis reads as follows:
The film tells the tale of Maurice, a large talking cat, who travels from town to town offering to solve their sudden rat problem. He unveils Keith, a young boy who can play the pipe quite well, and the rats march out of town to the relief of the townsfolk. Maurice and the money received from the grateful town suddenly disappear and he reappears a suitable distance away to count the money with Keith and the rats! But these are no ordinary rats – they talk and wear clothes and dream of an island paradise where rats and humans live together in peace. All goes well with their ‘rat scam’ until they reach the town of Bad Blintz, where they meet a book-obsessed girl, Malicia, who leads them on an adventure to solve the mystery of her town.
Any fans of Pratchett will likely be familiar with the plot of the novel, and often for these fans, it can be crucial that the adaptation stay true to the source material. It seems as if, with The Amazing Maurice, this will be the case, with the writing team rightly choosing to use the imaginative plot of the original and combine it with the incredible voice-acting and animation style. There is of course some additional material that is necessary when adapting a novel into a screenplay, with that material in the capable hands of Robert Chandler (A Christmas Number One) and Toby Genkel (The Ogglies), who both have experience in children's media. Genkel also works as the film's director alongside Florian Westermann, who has a successful background in visual effects having worked on the likes of After Earth and Only Lovers Left Alive. Pratchett's imagination is almost unmatched, so to be able to see his magical sense of plot on the screen will make it unmissable viewing.
Who's In the Cast of The Amazing Maurice?
As mentioned previously, one of the stand-out parts of this film's marketing has been the cast list. Often in animation, as we have seen with the likes of Sing and, more recently, The Bad Guys, an incredible cast can make or break the box office success of a film. The casting team for The Amazing Maurice has certainly taken this into account, with a list of stars long enough to create its own walk of fame. The lead character Maurice is played by Hugh Laurie (House), and he is joined by the likes of Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) who plays Malicia, David Thewlis (Harry Potter) voicing Boss Man, Himesh Patel (Yesterday) as Keith, Gemma Arterton (Byzantium) as Peaches and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), who plays The Mayor. Of course, this is only a small slice of the star-studded pie, with names like David Tennant (Doctor Who), Joe Sugg (Thatcher Joe), and Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) also part of the cast.
With this amount of talent as part of the film, The Amazing Maurice not only promises to be one of the most exciting animated films coming out in the next few months but also pays homage to just how great the work of Terry Pratchett is. So many of these actors would have jumped at the chance to voice one of his legendary characters, illustrating the true genius of the man who created them.