But in both cases, Sendak's and ours, they're versions of humans seen through a child's eyes: huge, dangerous, hairy, smelly, full of pain and often finding it difficult to sleep at night. In the movie they're not immigrants from Eastern Europe, of course. What was your visceral response to the wild thing characters?Įggers: We definitely went in a new direction with who the Wild Things are. That realization made the book and movie more resonant for me since I had the same embarrassed feelings. Heller: I never understood until speaking with Maurice that the Wild Things were his immigrant relatives. With that settled, there was a lot of freedom in the pages in between. With Wild Things, it was good to know how the book would start and end. It makes you work a bit harder, for some reason. When I teach writing to high school kids, they almost always do their best writing when there are some constraints, or a very specific prompt.

Nonetheless, did you feel any constraints in adapting and reinterpreting his material?ĭave Eggers: Well, I think art of any kind usually benefits from a constraint or two. He told me that his goal was to be as liberal with you as his editor Ursula Nordstrom was with him as a young writer and artist. Steven Heller: I know that Sendak gave you and Spike Jonze total freedom. He graciously agreed to talk about his motivations and process. I also read Egger's novel, (), and requested an interview as well. His insights into the book never disappoint. Prior to the premiere of the film I interviewed Maurice Sendak for NYC & Company. While for me the initial screening and reading were a bit of shock, it didn't take long to become uncomfortably comfortable with the new interpretations. Dave Eggers also surprised many in his full blown novelization of a children's picture book. It wasn't catering to children (but in a way, neither was the book). It was not a Pixar or Disney animation, but rather a live action production that was spare and expressionistic. As it turned out, the film was not the expected result. It had taken so long to bring to the screen and when it was announced that Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers were collaborating on the film there was an audible buzz about things like integrity and fidelity. Most everyone I know was looking forward to The Where the Wild Things Are movie with great anticipation.

The Wild Things by Dave Eggers