What is the 'Last Unicorn'?

"The Last Unicorn" was written by author Peter S. Beagle in 1968. The story follows a unicorn who discovers she is the last unicorn left in the world. Looking for answers, she sets off on a dangerous quest to discover what has become of the others. Along the way she meets and befriends a delightful group of misfit characters that join her on her quest; a bumbling incompitent magician named Schmendrick and a lonesome wife named Molly Grue. Thier quest brings them to the doorstep of King Haggard, a selfish unhappy king who has used the terrifying force of the Red Bull to capture all the unicorns in the world for his own happiness. After Schmendrick uses his magic to disguise the unicorn, the kings young son, Prince Lir, falls in love her. Will the unicorn abandon her quest to save her kind for the love of a prince?

'The Last Unicorn' was adapted into an animated film by famous producers Rankin & Bass in 1982. The film is voiced by a star studded cast including Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges and Christopher Lee who voiced King Haggard. The film grossed over $6 mil. domestically and has since become one of the most beloved fantasy films of all time.

According to Polygon.com, the film rights were recently released in 2015 after being held by German film director Michael Pakleppa since 1999. Rumor has it that Peter S. Beagle started workon a live action screenply for his most famous work, soon after its release. Many fans have talked about who they would want to direct or produce the beloved story; who would do Peter S. Beagle and his beloved fantasy story justice? My answer, non-other then Guillermo Del Toro.

Who is Guillermo Del Toro?

Guillermo Del Toro is a mexican film director, producer and novelist. He is best known for his dark fantasy pieces such as The Devil's Backbone (2001) and Pan's Labyrinth (2006). He has also produced successful films such as The Orphanage (2007), Mama (2013) and was a co-writer for The Hobbit trilogies. Del Toro's work is characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales and horror, creating both visual and poetic beauty on screen. He is currently working on 3 new films for universal, a new film adaptation of Frankenstein, Slaughter-House 5 and Drood, all novel based films. He also created the popular TV series on FX called the Strain.

Why Is Del Toro the Man for the Job?

The story of 'The Last Unicorn' is a tale of beauty, love, darkness and magic. It needs to be presented with all the elements developed in thier own unique way. It's a tale of triumph, light vs dark, and I understand why Beagle wants to make sure it is done right. Based on Del Toro's poetic style of filmmaking and on the beautiful horror he impliments in many of his works, he would be the only man right for the job. He would create the world Beagle had always dreamed of, a vision of light and dark, greed and selflessness, beauty and horror. It would be a work of art on screen, which is the only way fans (and can only imagine Beagle as well) would want to see 'The Last Unicorn' become.

What About Peter Jackson?

I know this question will come up so I felt the need to address it now. Remember, this is just all based on my opinion and who I feel to be the better man for the job. If you don't agree that's fine; I'm not looking for validation.

Peter Jackson is no doubt a brilliant director who brought Middle Earth to life for fans all over the world, giving the film industry one of the most epic movie franchises of all time. The difference is right in the text, it is an EPIC fantasy series driven by brutal battles, honor, glory and the use of force to vanquish evil. It is plainly black and white. 'The Last Unicorn' is more poetic with a constant fluctuation between what is good and bad. I am not saying that Jackson is incapable of providing those fluctuations and giving a more artistic view of the story; but seeing the films he has done before, it would be less likely to associate him with such a style. Del Toro has already established the idealistic style that a live version of would need. It would be the perfect symmetry between writer and filmmaker.

I would never bash Jackson, I love LOTR's and The Hobbit. He was THE GUY to direct those films and no one else could have done a better job. This is exactly how I feel about Del Toro in regards to 'The Last Unicorn'; he is THE GUY to get for that film and no one else could do a better job.

In Closing...

Both Del Toro and Beagle try to keep a close connection with thier fan They show appreciation almost as much as their fans do. Beacause of this, I feel they would be very respectful not only of thier own opinions and directions they would want to film to take, but also focus on what their fans would want to see.