Auteur of short films turns kids’ book into full length feature

Maurice Sendak’s infamous children’s book Where the Wild Things Are goes from 10 sentences and 18 illustrations to a full length feature film, courtesy of director Spike Jonze. As of the 2008 the book famous the world over has sold 19 million copies since its publication in 1963 but can now be enjoyed in high definition on Blu-ray disc.

The books tells the story of a mischievous boy Max, who dresses up in a wolf costume to play pranks near his home. After being found out his mother punishes him be sending him to bed without dinner. There in his room the boy’s imagination creates a wild forest and sea on which Max sails to the land of the Wild Things – fearsome looking creatures. Max however does not succumb to fear of the Wild Things and overcomes them by staring into their yellows without blinking, which earns him the right to be king of all wild things.

The excitement of the boy though is short-lived when he becomes homesick and so decides to return home to find a warm meal waiting for him.

Spike Jonze, well-known for his short films, skate videos, skits and music videos, takes on the really short story to convert it into a full-length feature film; his third in a decade. The film preserves the delight and purity of the book while bringing to live the Wild Things by means of elaborate puppetry, digital animation and voice work.

Where the Wild Things Are is available on Blu-ray from WantItAll for the best price of R342.