Taking a beat from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Samuel L. Jackson has entered talks to star in the Tim Burton-directed fantasy adaptation Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, Deadline reports.
The acclaimed actor will take on the key role of Barron, a mysterious individual who repeatedly comes into contact with protagonist Jacob (Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame). After his grandfather’s strange death, Jacob is compelled to visit the ruins of a mysterious island that once housed a school for children with inexplicable gifts. As he explores the school and learns of its inscrutable headmistress (Eva Green), Jacob realizes that the inhabitants of the seemingly abandoned school are far from gone.
Though no one involved with the production will comment on whether Barron is a good or bad guy, fans of Ransom Riggs’ novel know Barron as one of multiple disguises worn by a horrific creature known as a ‘wight,’ which consumes the souls of “peculiars” in order to become more powerful. Jackson signing onto the project is definitely an exciting prospect. Over the years, the actor has proven capable of playing truly chilling villains, and pairing him with a director as distinctive Burton should certainly yield some interesting results.
Rising actress Ella Purnell also has a role in the film, as a peculiar child named Emma, and Jane Goldman adapted the script.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children will hit theaters on March 4th, 2016. It currently shares that release date with a Disney Animation project called Zootopia, though the Gothic overtones of this project suggests that Burton and company are aiming to please a slightly more mature audience.
From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable, thrilling and haunting tale. Sixteen-year-old Jacob follows clues that take him to a mysterious island, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores the abandoned bedrooms and hallways, he discovers that its former occupants were far more than peculiar; they possessed incredible powers. And they may still be alive.
