Colin Trevorrow delivered one of the biggest and most successful movies of 2015 – and indeed, of all time – with Jurassic World, and quickly signed up to join the expanding Star Wars universe by boarding Star Wars: Episode IX as director. But, these giant projects have clearly done little to dissuade the filmmaker from his low-budget roots, as he is currently preparing to release The Book Of Henry – for which we now have an official image.
The tiny drama is highly anticipated thanks to Trevorrow’s presence behind the camera – but it is those that have flocked to his project to perform in front of the camera that are arguably the biggest draw. This will be the first theatrical release to star young actor Jacob Tremblay, since his award-winning turn in last year’s Room, and it lines him up alongside Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent) in the role of the titular Henry. Joining them is an impressive roster of talent, including Naomi Watts (Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), Lee Pace (Guardians Of The Galaxy), Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back), and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad).
Little is known about the plot, beyond the fact that Tremblay and Lieberher play brothers, who are the sons of a single parent, played by Naomi Watts. Lieberher’s Henry is a child genius, and he works with his brother, Peter, to hatch a plan leading to the rescue of their neighbour – played by Maddie Ziegler (Pretty Little Liars) – from her abusive father. The complicating issue is that her father is also the police commissioner.
In conversation with Empire Magazine, Colin Trevorrow explained his motivations for switching to such a small, intimate project – written by Gregg Hurwitz – after the excesses of Jurassic World.
“I wanted to do something that scared the hell out of me. An acoustic movie with intense emotion. The challenge was to give an audience the same tension and thrills they get from a blockbuster, but rely solely on story and character to do it.”
That kind of approach is surely music to the ears of cinema audiences everywhere. Hopefully, the star-filled cast list and the now legendary director will ensure The Book Of Henry gets some space in theatres among the big blockbusters of 2016 when it is released in the fall.
