An 80s-style fantasy film that was shot at locations across Scotland is set to be released in cinemas worldwide this summer.
'Man and Witch: The Dance of A Thousand Steps' features an all-star cast including Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd, Lord of The Rings and The Goonies actor Sean Astin and Tami Stronach, who came to prominence as a child with her performance as the Childlike Empress in 1984 film The NeverEnding Story.
Joining them are a host of British talent including Bill Bailey, Jennifer Saunders, Eddie Izzard and Glaswegian actor Daniel Portman, who played Pod in Game of Thrones. All four actors voice animal characters - a goose, sheep, donkey and dog - which come to life through photo-realistic puppets created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
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Filming took place over a six-week period in the summer of 2021 on location in Los Angeles and across Scotland, including at Mugdock Park on the outskirts of Glasgow.
The family film follows a lonely goatherd who, having been cursed at birth to never take a wife, makes a pact with a reclusive witch to reverse the spell only if he can complete three impossible tasks so that he may one day find true love.
It is described as a "heartwarming homage to the lo-fi fantasy films of the 80s and a comic adventure that both fulfills and subverts the expectations of what a fantasy universe can be".
'Man and Witch: The Dance of A Thousand Steps' marks the return to the big screen for Tami Stronach - 40 years on The NeverEnding Story - as the titular witch alongside husband Greg Steinbruner, who stars as the titular man.
This summer @fathomevents brings Man and Witch: the Dance of a Thousand Steps to a theater near you!
— Man And Witch (@ManAndWitchFilm) February 13, 2024
For tickets, showtimes and news of the Contented Kingdom sign up for updates at https://t.co/1P7JUgXHyE pic.twitter.com/AWP907ahYd
Speaking after shooting wrapped on the film in 2021, Stronach said: "I’ve known for a while that it was time to come back to the screen. I was in New York making plays and dances, and I thought, 'eventually people will just forget about the Neverending Story' and the fan mail will stop coming.
"But the opposite happened. 80s kids grew up and now they want to share the things they love with their own kids. And there’s this huge appetite for those classic films, but also a desire to get back to what made those films so timeless. A sense of wonder, and magic, and fun. A fantasy world that feels real. That we can lose ourselves in and return to over and over as a family.
"My father was Scottish, so shooting on location in Scotland was a dream come true. The castles, the countryside, it really looks like a fantasy kingdom anywhere you point the camera. Of course, I didn’t know how I would feel getting in front of the camera in a big way after all this time. After six, amazing weeks, now I know. It feels like coming home."
Steinbruner added: "People ask us how we assembled such an incredible cast and creative team for the film, and the answer is actually pretty simple: we sent them the script.
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“The comment I’ve gotten over and over is ‘This is amazing. Why aren’t people making movies like this anymore?’ If you don’t have 100 million to put into CGI, you just have to focus on telling a great story instead. And if you do tell a good story, it turns out, that’s what great actors are all looking to work on.
"I’m incredibly excited and humbled that so many icons – lifelong heroes of mine – came together to bring the world of ‘Man & Witch’ to life."
The fantasy throwback is produced by Paper Canoe Company in conjunction with Glasgow-based producer Angela Murray, whose TV and film credits include The Nest, Two Doors Down, Still Game Series 6, God Help the Girl and The Last King of Scotland.
The film is edited by BAFTA-nominated editor Victoria Boydell (Saltburn) and scored by Emmy-winning composer Geoff Zanelli (Leo/Maleficent: Mistress of Evil).
On Tuesday, Hollywood news site Deadline confirmed that Man and Witch had been acquired by Colorado-based entertainment content provider Fathom Events ahead of a cinematic release this coming summer.
The Herald understands that the release will see, at the very least, some event showings in Glasgow and London.
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