Large scale puppets, miniatures and various other all-practical effects will come together for Grylu Sker, an Icelandic ghost story from the creators of The Haunted Swordsman – along with Sjón, co-writer of Robert Eggers’ The Northman – that is now funding on Kickstarter.
The film will even feature a stop motion animation sequence supervised by Oscar-winner Phil Tippett (Mad God), so it’s no surprise that the Kickstarter fund has been a smashing success so far. Running until August 11, over $90,000 of the total $120,000 goal has already been raised!
Billed as a gothic adventure, Grylu Sker is the tale of a lost explorer set in a world of Icelandic folklore written by Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, The Haunted Swordsman) and Icelandic author Sjón (co-writer of The Northman). It is a story of an explorer’s fight for survival on a bleak unforgiving island and also a re-imagining of the legendary Icelandic witch Gryla.
Director Kevin McTurk explains, “This film will utilize 36 inch tall bunraku puppets, stop motion animation, traditional in-camera effects and old-fashioned smoke and mirrors trickery. As with my two earlier highly successful Kickstarter funded films (The Mill at Calder’s End and The Haunted Swordsman), I will once again be bringing together a team of professional puppeteers, camera and lighting technicians, top creature effects artists, amazing voice talent and phenomenal sound designers and musicians, to create a haunting and visually captivating tale.”
McTurk is a longtime special effects artist, having worked on films including Batman Returns, Jurassic Park, Interview with the Vampire, Lake Placid, Wrong Turn, Kill Bill, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alien vs. Predator, Iron Man, Hellboy II, Avatar, and the list goes on.
Grylu Sker is one of the most exciting projects you’ll find on Kickstarter this year, an absolute dream for fans of old school practical effects that is THIS CLOSE to coming to life soon.
Learn more, see more, and pitch in over on the official Grylu Sker campaign on Kickstarter.
The apparition seen by the Explorer when he arrives on the barren island of GRYLU SKER. Concept Art by Guy Davis (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Cabinet of Curiosities, Crimson Peak)
Concept Art for paint design/final look of GRYLA. Art by Daniel Carrasco (Last Voyage of the Demeter, Crimson Peak, A Monster Calls)
The GRYLU SKER Poster created by award winning artist and writer Jeffrey Alan Love.
The post ‘Grylu Sker’ – Icelandic Ghost Story Brings Together Top Talent in the Puppetry and Stop Motion Arenas appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.