Where the Wild Things Are [2009] (1 disc)

Random Trivia For This Title:

• Eric Goldberg was at one point attached to direct.
• Spike Jonze was approached by Maurice Sendak and was asked to take on the film adaptation. A movie had been on the burner since the early 90s, and Mr. Sendak had not been able to find anyone fitting to take it on. Throughout the writing process, Jonze and Dave Eggers kept in close contact with Sendak, consulting and sharing script changes, models of the monsters, etc.
• Numerous cameras followed the actors around to impress their expressions and feelings. The images would then be digitally "infused" onto the faces of the puppets and would follow the actors' performances.
• Other actors auditioning for the role of Max included ^[?] Griffin Armstorff, ^[?] Jackson Pace and ^[?] Bobby Coleman.
• Michelle Williams was at one point cast to voice KW before the role went to Lauren Ambrose. The filmmakers felt that Williams' voice didn't match what they're going for. ^[?] Chloë Sevigny was another consideration for the same role.
• Initially, Warner Brothers studio was so unhappy with Spike Jonze's final movie (it was much less family friendly than they imagined) that they wanted to re-shoot the whole $75 milion project in early 2008. Jonze was eventually given some more time and money by the studio in order to make the final product satisfying to both, the studio and himself.
• Though their names are not mentioned in the book, Maurice Sendak named the Wild Things after his aunts and uncles: Bernard, Tzippeh, Aaron, Moishe, etc. In the film they have totally different names.
• Lauren Ambrose described her character as a "eight-foot-tall Neanderthal, that looks just like her".
• In July 2006, less than six weeks before the start of shooting, the Henson-built monster suits arrived at the Melbourne soundstage where Spike Jonze and his crew had set up their offices. The actors climbed inside and began moving around. Right away, Jonze could see that the heads were absurdly heavy. Only one of the actors appeared able to walk in a straight line. A few of them called out from within their costumes that they felt like they were going to tip over. Jonze and the production crew had no choice but to tell the Henson people to tear apart the 50-pound heads and remove the remote-controlled mechanical eyeballs. This meant that all the facial expressions would have to be generated in post-production, using computers.
• Max Records's favorite scene in the original book, is when Max meet a sea monster. That scene is however not included in the film.
• Spike Jonze turned down the chance to make the movie fully animated, because he wanted people to feel the Wild Things, and thought it would be more exciting and dangerous, if a real kid were running around with the wild things.