BENICIO DEL TORO - WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE CASTS CREATURES

BENICIO DEL TORO, FOREST WHITAKER, MICHELLE WILLIAMS and CATHERINE O'HARA will provide the voices for creatures in the big screen adaptation of the classic children's book WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH director SPIKE JONZE is bringing the tale, which will feature a mix of live-action, animation and puppetry, to the big screen in 2008. CAPOTE star CATHERINE KEENER will appear in the live-action part of the film, playing the mother of MAX, a child who ventures into a magical world of creatures after he is punished for misbehaving. Jonze will film the actors and use the video of their performance to create the actual Wild Things puppets. Whitaker explains, "We've been rehearsing, spending time with Spike to figure out the way the creatures should talk and think, and he'll take our gestures and incorporate them into the behaviour of these gigantic creatures." "I liked the book, and working with Spike in this unusual process has been rewarding for all of us, and a lot different from the work I've been doing."