After bubbling away on the development stove for years, the Peter Jackson-produced Mortal Engines adaptation took a big step forward when Christian Rivers was announced as the director last year. Now we know two of the people who will be in front of the camera: Robert Sheehan and Ronan Raftery.
Philip Reeve's series of children's novels takes place in a steampunk post-apocalyptic future where cities are mobile and perambulate the planet devouring each other for fuel: a system amusingly called Municipal Darwinism. The St Paul's Cathedral-topped London is the strongest of these Traction Cities, in a world where "old tech" is extremely sought after.
The first novel, Mortal Engines itself, in a very small nutshell, involves an assassination attempt within the Historians Guild; the challenging of apprentice Historian Tom Natsworthy's value system, when he gets stranded overboard his beloved London with the revenge-bent Hester Shaw; and the Terminator-ish "stalker" Shrike (Grike if you're American, where the book seres goes by the awkward title The Hungry City Chronicles) who's on their trail. Mortal Engines is followed by Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices, A Darkling Plain and the prequel Fever Crumb.
The script is by the LOTR team of Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, with Rivers set to start shooting in New Zealand this spring, ready for a 14 December, 2018 launch date. And, if it's successful, more movies will follow.
Christian Rivers Directing The Mortal Engines Film For Peter Jackson