I feel like I’ve been writing Jack and the Giant Killer stories forever. I know pre-production is a long and weary road, but there is something rather funny about Bryan Singer coming and going off X-Men: First Class, and still not getting a single frame of Jack shot.
But patience and preparation makes for better films, right? Right.
Plus, by waiting, Singer got Ian McShane who presumably would have been tied up on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides had the film shot at any other time. And now you have a reason to perk up, since someone (perhaps a young member of your family) may insist on seeing Jack the Giant Killer, and you’re not into fairy tales, but were really into Deadwood.
So, there you are. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McShane joins Jack as King Brahmwell, father to the princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) whose capture-by-giant forces farmer Jack (Nicholas Hoult) to lead an expedition to save her. It promises to be more than an extended cameo, since the King is angry that a farmer has any romantic designs on his daughter, and has a villainous adviser (Stanley Tucci) who has plans to usurp his throne.
Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, and John Kassir are also part of the cast. So McShane will have plenty of good actors to bounce off of (McShane Versus Tucci may be worth viewing time alone), and sparks could fly during all the royal court scenes. He won’t drop any fuck bombs (it is a kiddie tale) but he might grab some people around the jaw or throat to keep things menacing. It is faux-medieval times, after all.