"Watership Down," the 1972 Richard Adams novel that was adapted into an animated film just six years later, will be adapted once again for a computer-animated mini-series produced by Netflix and the BBC.
"The thing about Watership Down is that it’s an epic adventure story," Rory Aitken, executive producer,
told The Telegraph U.K.
A tale about displaced rabbits looking for a new home, "Watership Down" has become well known for its brutal violence over the years, but that will change somewhat with the new series.
"It’s not a terrifying, brutal story," said Aitken. "I think that in a way we want to restore the reputation that the book should have as one of the great adventure stories of all time. It’s grown this reputation for being scarring and horrific and brutal, and actually that’s not what the essence of the story is. While we won’t shy away from the darkness in the book, visually it won’t be as brutal and scarring."
The anthropomorphized rabbits of the adventure story will be voiced by Sir Ben Kingsley, who will play General Woundwort, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, and "Star Wars" star John Boyega.
In addition to toning down the shocking scenes of animal violence seen in the original film, project heads say the new mini-series will feature more prominently the voices and storylines of the work's female characters.
Gemma Arterton, Olivia Colman, and Anne-Marie Duff will voice Clover, Strawberry, and Hyzenthlay, respectively.
"The idea is to bring it to a wider family audience. While 'Watership Down' is never going to be for young children, it will be for the whole family to watch together," said Aitken.
The mini-series is reportedly being produced in four parts, and has a budget around 20 million pounds,
according to the Daily Mail.
The series will premiere on the BBC, and be available on-demand thereafter on Netflix.
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