Live-Action The Last Unicorn Movie In The Works, And We Have Questions

Peter S. Beagle's beloved fantasy novel "The Last Unicorn" was highly sought after for animated film adaptations almost immediately upon publication, but it wasn't until 1982 that Rankin/Bass and Topcraft animation in Japan teamed up to create the acclaimed animated film. Thanks to a post from the author's Beagleverse website, "The Last Unicorn" is currently being adapted to a stage musical with Fergie contributing, and a live-action film.

First published in 1968, "The Last Unicorn" tells the story of the supposed last unicorn after the malevolent Red Bull herded unicorns to the ends of the Earth. She sets out on a journey to discover what happened to the rest of her kind, encountering fantastical beings along the way, some who wish to help, and others who wish to exploit the last unicorn for their own nefarious means. The book is considered to be one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written, and the animated feature film is a Gen X favorite ... and responsible for more than a few nightmares.

Beagle, who finally regained the rights to his literary work after a prolonged legal battle with his former manager which is still ongoing, was given the opportunity to write the screenplay for the animated version of his novel, so it's safe to assume he'll have input on the live-action film. "The Last Unicorn" is remembered now for its stylish look of curved lines and pastel colors, but thinking about a live-action version of "The Last Unicorn" is making me scratch my chin a little bit. There are more than a few instances in the animated film that are going to look pretty outrageous in live-action, and I'm not just talking about the anthropomorphic tree with huge boobs.

Advancements in CGI technology have helped make space for quality live-action fantasy stories like "The Lord of the Rings" or "Game of Thrones," but "The Last Unicorn" plays in a world far more fantastical than both Middle-earth and the Seven Kingdoms combined. To start it off, the main protagonist of the film is a unicorn. It would be one thing if she was a side character, but it's a little difficult to tell the story of "The Last Unicorn" without us being guided by the last unicorn. While she does spend a good chunk of the movie disguised as a human woman, the end of the movie includes a literal title wave of unicorns. Our technological advancements have come a long way, but I am unsure if they have come far enough to make a believable oceanic wave composed not of water, but of charging unicorns.

There are a variety of mythical creatures that the unicorn encounters, like the mystical creatures of Mommy Fortuna's circus, a SUUUUPER high butterfly, and a very drunk skeleton. If there's any justice in the world, we'll get the return of Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, and Mia Farrow in cameo roles now that they're older, but imagining someone other than Christopher Lee as King Haggard feels sacrilegious. Making this film live-action seems like it'll be similar to the live-action versions of "Alice in Wonderland" or "The Lion King." This isn't to say that a live action version of the story is impossible, but they surely have their work cut out for them.