One of the most devastating, moving animated films of all time, right up there with “Grave of the Fireflies,” is “When The Wind Blows,” the 1986 adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. The story follows Jim & Hilda, a retired couple (as voiced by John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft), in the aftermath of a Soviet nuclear attack on the UK, as they slowly die of radiation poisoning. It sounds like a grim watch, and it is, but one leavened with humor, and featuring an excellent Roger Waters score.
Now, almost 25 years on, another of Briggs’ books is heading to the big screen, in the form of “Ethel & Ernest,” and two of Britain’s best known actors are lending their voices to the project. Mike Leigh regulars Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn will play the titular couple in the autobiographical story of Briggs’ parents, following them from their courtship in the 1920s to their deaths in 1970.
The project comes courtesy of producer John Coates, who was also behind the animated version of Briggs’ “The Snowman,” which picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short, as well as becoming a Christmas TV staple in the UK. There’s no news on a director or other cast, but if it can live up to “When The Wind Blows,” this could be another addition to the burgeoning field of animation for grown-ups. [The Hollywood Reporter]
