The partnership between director/producer Ant Timpson and Elijah Wood has led to some strange results. Wood starred in Timpson’s weird black comedy Come to Daddy in 2019, while the two also produced one of the worst and most uncomfortable movies ever made, The Greasy Strangler. Now the two are together again for Bookworm, another definite oddity, but perhaps a bit more mainstream and charming than we usually get from the duo.
Bookworm stars Wood as a washed-up illusionist who reunites with his estranged, precocious young daughter, played by Nell Fisher, into the New Zealand wilderness to find a mythical black panther.
The father/daughter bonding looks adorable, as they encounter nature’s most dangerous threats, including deadly farts, necessitating the need for a “fart free zone.” Oh, kids.
Also in the cast are Morgana O’Reilly, Vanessa Stacey, and Michael Smiley.
If this is half as awesome as the Timpson-produced retro superhero movie Turbo Kid, then we’re in for a treat.
SYNOPSIS: Bookworm follows 11-year-old Mildred (Nell Fisher) whose life takes a wild turn when her estranged father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), a washed-up Las Vegas illusionist, suddenly reappears. Years ago, after a magical encounter with the once-charming Strawn, Mildred’s mom moved back to New Zealand. Now, a comical mishap leaves Strawn caring for Mildred while her mom is hospitalized. Their first adventure? Camping to hunt for the mythological Canterbury Panther. As this mismatched duo navigates the wilderness, magic tricks, and an extraordinary quest, hilarity ensues, and they might just find a way to piece their family back together.
Bookworm finally has a U.S. release date in theaters and VOD on October 18th.
