HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen Friday in Where the Wild Things Are, a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in.
The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions.
The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought. The story follows the adventures of a young boy named Max who, after being sent to bed for misbehaving, imagines that he sails away to where the wild things are. Max is loved by the wild creatures who make him their King, though he soon longs to be back home with his family.
Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is among the producers of the picture, which features young actor Max Records. Others in the cast include two-time Oscar nominee Catherine Keener, while Forest Whitaker and James Gandolfini are among those lending voice to the wild things.
Click here for cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Where the Wild Things Are.
