Andy Serkis is one busy man from starring in the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Force Awakensfilm to making his directorial debut in Jungle Book: Origins. Serkis is adding a new project to his IMDb list—he'll be playing one of fairy tales most spine-chilling villains, Rumpelstiltskin.
According to The Tracking Board, Serkis is reportedly attached to direct and star in the Rumpelstiltskin fable, titled Steelskin. The film is supposedly taking a darker and more gritty approach, even though the fairy tale is already creepy and unsettling to begin with (especially compared to other folk tales).
The fable originated in Germany before the Brothers Grimm collected the tale. The story tells of a poor miller lies to the king that his daughter is able to spin straw into gold, even though she really can't. The king orders the daughter to prove her talent or else he'll cut her head off (yeah, creepy as hell). A magical imp-like creature arrives and uses his magic to help the girl turn the straw into gold in exchange for jewelry, but as the king's demands grow, so do the imp's. When the girl has nothing left to offer, she promises to exchange her first-born son. In order for the girl to keep her son, she must figure out his name in three days or else the imp will keep her son. Some of the endings vary, with her keeping her son and Rumpelstiltskin running away in anger or splitting in half out of rage.
While the news has not been officially confirmed, The Tracking Boardreports that details of the film are being kept under wraps, but Hossein Amini, who penned the Snow White & The Huntsman script, is attached to write the re-telling of Rumpelstiltskin. The project is being tapped by Fox studios, with Serkis set to produce, as well as direct and star.
