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Remember Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak? Of course you do… it’s one of the three greatest children’s books ever written. It’s the story of a little shit named Max who wears pajamas with feet and sails to an island filled with monsters (not to be confused with Monster Island where Godzilla’s little, inbred, smoke-ring-blowing son spends his days cavorting and frolicking.) Well in case you haven’t heard, there’s a live-action movie coming out directed by Spike Jonze. I’ll leave it between you and your therapist to debate if a film version of this seminal classic is a good idea, suffice to say it’s coming whether you want it or not.

The first video clip has surfaced online, and it apparently hasn’t been lasting very long in any one place before getting shut down… so watch it now below!

All done? I’m okay with a film version being made because unlike some rabid fans I know that regardless of whether the movie rules or sucks it can’t affect the quality of, or my affection for, the source material. And I’m happy to see that Jonze and company have decided to film in the real world, as I’m not really a fan of fully CGI-realized “sets.” That said, this clip kind of creeps me out, and I’m not sure why. It may be the monster’s voice, which I sincerely hope is a temp track bound for re-recording and “monsterization.” And did the monsters even talk in the book? I know they howled and growled and made terrible sounds, but talked? The entire scene has a bittersweet air to it that wasn’t quite in the book itself, yet matches it nicely at the same time. I expect there’s still CGI work to be done meaning the film probably won’t be released until 2009.

Equally exciting is the news that Sendak has asked Dave Eggers to write a novel companion to the new movie. The book, like the movie, is aimed as much at adults as it is for kids. Eggers, who helped Jonze with the screenplay, says they wanted to make it wild, dangerous, and unexpected again. I for one look forward to the wild rumpus ahead.