This writer took not one, but two courses in Greek mythology during high school and can assure you that well runs deep with complex stories and endless characters. So it’s no surprise that Hollywood’s latest strip mining effort is directed at this particularly rich vein. “Clash Of The Titans,” “Percy Jackson,” “Immortals” and now……”Pig Scrolls.”
Former Coen brothers cinematographer turned forgettable “Men In Black” director Barry Sonnenfeld is taking the reins of Dreamworks Animation’s entry, “Pig Scrolls”. Sure, that name is kind of chunky at first blush – but it’s relevant once you understand the story being told.
See, mythology is all about hierarchy and who’s got the power. The hero in “Pig Scrolls” is Gryllus. Formerly a member of Odesseus’ crew, he was stripped of his human privileges by the deity Circe and made to spend the rest of his life as a pig. But what a pig he is. Despite being a squat little bundle of delicious future-bacon, Hollywood’s Babe 2.0 has tasked himself with…wait for it…saving the entire world.
We know, we know…that sounds slightly similar to a few other movies from our collective moviegoing past. But don’t forget about the Greek mythology background against which it’s set. You can be sure the Gods aren’t going to be happy and there will be at least a few thunderbolts getting tossed around like Nerf pool floats. The script most recently had a pass done by Kirk DeMicco (“Space Chimps”) so yeah, don’t hold your hopes too high for this one.
It’s worth noting that Sonnenfeld is attached to number of upcoming films including “Men In Black 3” but it seems like “Pig Scrolls” is further down the pre-production road than any of the others. So expect to see this badboy in your local screening room sooner rather than later. Good news, too: if the flick blows up, Dreamworks owns the pink slip on a sequel. Just expect Zeus’s team at CAA to bleed Dreamworks if they require the God of The Sky’s presence in number two. -Whit Wagner