Jeff Bridges, speaking at Comic-Con on Thursday, revealed he had spent nearly 20 years trying to bring The Giver to the screen. The panel for the film, a futuristic tale based on Lois Lowry's popular book, was more like a learned book-club chat than a standard Comic-Con presentation.
Bridges, who stars as the title character, led the discussion. In a sterile future society, the Giver offloads memories into a young initiate in case they are required to guide citizens in times of need. Bridges said he had been trying to get the movie made for close to two decades.
"It was a terrific children's book, but also I enjoyed it so much as an adult and loved its themes and poetry," he said. "I tried to get it made for 18, 19 years, and it proved to be difficult because it was controversial.
"But it was taught in schools. That controversy scared some financiers away, but it inspired some and I am so glad the Weinstein Company and Walden had the courage to put this out."
On a poignant note, Bridges said he had originally intended to direct the movie and get his father, Lloyd, to play the Giver. Alas, it took so long to come together that, by the time it was greenlit, Lloyd had died.
Lowry, a spry, witty presence who called herself an outsider, acknowledged there were controversial episodes in the book, such as the moment when a man kills his child. In another episode, a young boy bathes a naked old lady, a scene that will not be in the movie.
Phillip Noyce is directing the film and sent a video message from New York, where he is applying the finishing touches.
Brenton Thwaites is cast as Jonas, the young hero of the piece, alongside Odeya Rush. There's even Taylor Swift – prompting Bridges to recall how they would get the guitar out between takes.
Meryl Streep plays the Chief Elder, who presides over the dystopian community. Lowry was full of admiration for what Streep brought to the role.
"I wanted to go back into the book and make the role of the Chief Elder what Meryl did with it," she said. "It was a small role in the book."
The Giver opens in the US on 11 August.
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