Taika Waititi, Blake Harrison, Mia Wasikowska, Penelope Wilton, David Walliams, Richard Roxburgh and Robyn Nevin are set to star alongside newcomer Iona Bell in a screen adaptation of Walliams’ internationally bestselling children’s book, FING. The family adventure will be released on Sky Cinema in the UK.

The feature film is driven by a world-class creative team, co-written by Walliams and Kevin Cecil with award winning director Jeffrey Walker at the helm. Principal filming has commenced at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, Australia – secured through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.

The story follows librarians Mr and Mrs. Meek (Harrison and Wasikowska) who will do anything to keep their darling daughter, Myrtle (Bell), happy. But it’s not enough for Myrtle who always wants more, more, more. When Myrtle declares she wants a Fing, her parents have no choice but to track one down, taking them to the furthest and darkest corners of the jungle. Fing turns out to be as much as a destructive monster as Myrtle, who in turn, must battle it out with the evil animal park owner, The Viscount (Waititi), who is determined to own this rarest of creatures.

The film is a co-production between UK-based King Bert Productions and Queensland-based Story Bridge Films. Sky has developed and co-financed the film, alongside co-financiers STAN and AGC Studios, who are also handling worldwide sales. Transmission Films will release theatrically in Australia and New Zealand, with Stan premiering as a Stan Original on SVoD. Executive producers are Julia Stuart and Andrew Orr for Sky, alongside Walliams and Shana Levine.

Walliams, who has sold over 60 million copies of his books in 55 languages, sold and published FING in 2019. Walliams, who plays Meryl’s headmaster in the film, commented “FING is such a fun and visual story with so many flights of fancy and I can’t wait to see it come to life on screen. To have Taika join the cast is absolutely thrilling as well. He’s a fantastic comedy performer, writer and director and I know he’ll have enormous fun playing the villainous role of the Viscount.”

Waititi said: “When I read the script, I instantly felt David’s unique and quirky wit jump off the page. There’s a dark humour and edge to FING and I’m excited to bring the eccentric Viscount to the screen.”

Sky’s Head of Original Film, Orr, said: “We are absolutely delighted to bring David Walliams’ FING to the screen. With a bold cinematic vision, cutting-edge visual effects and a top-tier international cast and creative team, FING sets itself apart as the most ambitious screen adaptation of a David Walliams book to date. A visually spectacular adventure for the whole family, FING exemplifies our dedication in delivering high-quality entertainment to Sky audiences.”

Producer of FING, Jo Sargent, added: “David and I have always known FING had potential to be an incredibly cinematic story. Director Jeffrey Walker and co-producer Todd Fellman have shared our vision from day one and it’s been wonderful to work alongside their world class crew in Queensland as we create the creature and story we know and love.”

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Categories: Articles, Content, Production

Tags: David Walliams, sky, Sky Cinema, Taika Waititi