Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a cinematic rendition of the Old English, 8th Century poem, BEOWULF, reports VARIETY. Matthew Sand will write the film, which will be produced by Ed McDonnell's Maple Shade Films. Maple Shade director of development exec Dan Stone brought the script to the company. Lynn Harris and David Ortiz will oversee the film for Warner.
Stone said, "Matthew has a unique take on the source material, incorporating elements of the art and mythology of the time period."
Sand commented, "My take is that this is the first horror story. The first action stories included THE ILIAD and GILGAMESH, but this is the first time you had a creature coming out of the darkness and breaking into your home at night. It's the genesis of so many of the horror archetypes we see today."
The story chronicles Beowulf of the Geats, who battles the monster Grendel, the beast's mother and a dragon.
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