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Mortal Engines

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MovieGuildofHistoriansicon Spoiler warning!

This article or section contains plot spoilers for Mortal Engines. Proceed at your own risk.

(Not to be confused with the book of the same name.)

Mortal Engines is a 2018 American-New Zealand steampunk science-fiction film that is the adaptation of the young-adult novel of the same name. The film was directed by Christian Rivers, Peter Jackson's protege, as his directorial debut.

It premiered on November 26th, 2018 in London. It premiered in the UK on December 7th, 2018, and was released in the U.S. on December 14th, 2018. It was a box-office bomb.

Synopsis[]

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved. Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns. Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar). Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.[1]

Plot[]

Following a cataclysmic conflict known as the Sixty Minute War, the remnants of humanity regroup and form mobile "predator" cities. Under a philosophy known as Municipal Darwinism, larger cities hunt and absorb smaller settlements in the Great Hunting Ground, which includes Great Britain and Continental Europe. In opposition to Municipal Darwinism, an Anti-Traction League have developed an alternative civilization consisting of "static settlements" in Asia protected by the Shield-Wall and led by Shan Guo (formerly China). The Anti-Traction League's lands are protected by the Shield-Wall, which is defended by powerful guns and a fleet of airships. Relics of modern technology such as toasters, computers, and iPhones are valued as Old Tech.

The city of London pursues and captures a small mining town called Salzhaken, absorbing its population and resources, under orders of Lord Mayor Magnus Crome. A masked woman named Hester Shaw has embedded herself among the Salzhakens, seeking to assassinate Thaddeus Valentine, Head of the Guild of Historians and a popular Londoner. Tom Natsworthy, a Apprentice Historian, is sent to London's "Gut" to collect Old-Tech for London's Museum, accompanied by Valentine's good-natured daughter Katherine. When Valentine visits the Gut, Hester attempts to assassinate Valentine but Tom intervenes, accidentally unmasking Hester and revealing that she has a disfiguring scar. Tom pursues Hester through the disassembling Salzhaken to a waste chute. Hester escapes down the chute, but not before telling Tom that Valentine murdered her mother and scarred her face. When Tom informs Valentine of what Hester said, the Historian pushes him down the chute.

Surviving the fall, Tom and Hester are forced to work together to traverse the Great Hunting Ground. They eventually find refuge in a town called Scuttlebug, but the owners lock them in a cell and intend to sell them as slaves. Hester confides in Tom that Valentine killed her archaeologist mother Pandora Shaw after she discovered a piece of Old-Tech from a dig in the Dead Continent of America which he steals, whilst the young Hester escaped with a necklace her mother gave her. Meanwhile, Valentine frees Shrike, a reanimated cyborg known as a "Stalker", from an offshore Sharkmoor Prison to hunt down and kill Hester.

At the slave market of Rustwater, Tom and Hester are rescued by Anti-Traction League agent Anna Fang, who kills their slaver captors. During the chaos, Tom and Hester are pursued by Shrike, whom Hester reveals she knows. Escaping on Anna's airship the Jenny Haniver, Hester explains that Shrike had found and raised her, as he had an affinity for "broken things". Shrike wished to turn Hester into a Stalker like himself, and she promised to let him, however she left after discovering that London was in the Great Hunting Ground six months prior to the film's events. On London, Katherine grows increasingly estranged from her father, especially after Apprentice Engineer Bevis Pod informs her that Valentine pushed Tom down the chute. Together, the two learn that Valentine's energy project in the re-purposed St Paul's Cathedral is more than it seems.

Hester and Tom travel with Anna to the airborne city Airhaven. There, they meet with other members of the Anti-Traction League, who are interested in Valentine's energy project. Tom figures out that the device Pandora discovered is MEDUSA, a quantum energy-based superweapon that can destroy cities in an instant. Shrike catches up with them and Airhaven is destroyed in the ensuing fire. Following a fierce skirmish, Shrike is fatally wounded, realizing that Hester is in love with Tom. Before perishing, he makes peace with her, freeing her of her promise. Hester, Tom, and Anna then travel to the Shield Wall with the surviving Anti-Tractionists. Meanwhile, Valentine kills the traditionalist Crome in a coup and drums up support from Londoners by vowing to destroying the Shield Wall with MEDUSA and lead them to a new Hunting Ground in Asia.

At the Shield Wall, Anna convinces Governor Kwan to launch the Anti-Tractionist fleet against London, but MEDUSA destroys the fleet and burns a hole through the Shield Wall. Meanwhile, Hester discovers that her mother's necklace contains a "crash drive" with a kill switch capable of disabling MEDUSA. Hester, Tom, Anna, and the remaining Anti-Tractionists lead a raid against London, braving the city's anti-aircraft defenses.

Hester and Anna manage to infiltrate St Paul's whilst Tom flies the Jenny. Though Valentine fatally wounds Anna during a sword duel, Hester manages to disable MEDUSA with the crash drive. Still determined to destroy the Shield Wall, Valentine orders his henchmen to kill the city's control crew and ram it into the Wall, risking the lives of everyone on board. With Katherine's help, Tom manages to destroy London's engine to slow it down. Valentine attempts to flee but Hester pursues and fights him aboard his airship - the 13th Floor Elevator. Tom rescues Hester and shoots down Valentine's ship. Valentine survives the crash, but is killed when the cockpit is run over by London's slowing tracks. The surviving Londoners, led by Katherine, make peace with the Anti-Tractionists, whilst Tom and Hester decide to travel in the Jenny to see the world.

Differences from Novel[]

  • In the book, the main protagonists are teenagers.[2] In the film, they are adults.[3]
    • Originally, all the novel's protagonists were adults. When Philip Reeve modified the story for Scholastic, he changed the protagonists to teenagers.[4]
  • In the book, the day is mentioned to be "a dark, blustery afternoon".[5] In the film, it is a sunny day.[6]
  • In the book, the opening scene is Tom working at the museum when the chase for Salthook occurs.[5] In the film, the opening scene is the Salthook chase from Hester's perspective.[6]
  • In the book, Herbert Melliphant mentions that Salthook's are C-20 land engines.[5] In the film, Valentine says this while reporting to Crome.[6]
  • In the book, Tom is sent to the Gut after fighting with Melliphant.[5] In the film, this is replaced with Melliphant using his ego to insult Tom and send him to the Gut.[3]
    • In the book, class divisions are also more visible with the city being dominated by four major guilds: the Engineers, Historians, Navigators, and Merchants. There is also a rivalry between the Historians and Engineers.
  • In the book, Katherine first appears when Tom is sent to the Gut.[7] In the film, she is first seen in the London Museum.[6]
  • In the book, Katherine has a pet wolf known as "Dog".[7] In the film, he was cut out completely.[3]
  • In the book, Hester is unnoticeable during her attempt to assassinate Valentine as she wears black clothing.[7] In the film, she is noticeable by her iconic red scarf.[3]
  • In the book, Tom and Bevis are the ones to chase Hester.[8] In the film, it is Tom and Valentine; Bevis overlooks Valentine pushing Tom out of London.[3]
  • In the book, Hester hisses at Tom to ask about Pandora's death before jumping out of London.[8] In the film, Tom attempts to "save" Hester as she jumps out of London. She tells him to ask Valentine about her and Pandora before freeing herself from Tom's grip.[3]
    • Rivers mentions that intentionally jumping off a Traction City is the world's equivalent of suicide, and being pushed off one is banishment.[9]
  • In the book, Hester has a massive scar that stretched from her eyebrow to chin. One of her eyes was removed due to Thaddeus Valentine slicing at her face with his sword, also cutting off her nose.[8] In the film, the scar was toned down, having it only rip across the lower half the right side of her face; both of her are eyes functional.[3]
    • The reason that Hester's scar was toned down was because Peter Jackson and Christian Rivers wanted Hera Hilmar's performance to do the talking for the character. They also wanted audiences to sympathize with the character; if they went with the book's description, then it would be "distracting" for audiences.[10]
  • In the book, Hester is shot in the leg by London's police as she escapes the city.[8] In the film, she is shot in the leg by a scavenger city harpoon while helping Tom evade them (the scavengers) in the Out-Country.[3]
  • In the film, Katherine wishes for Tractionists and Anti-Tractionists to live alongside each other - similar to Oenone Zero wanting war to end.[3] In the book, she never has this interest.[2]
  • In the book, Hester uses Tom's shirt to bandage her leg wound.[11] In the film, she uses her scarf.[3]
  • In the book, Hester mentions to Tom that she was raised on Oak Island.[12] In the film, it depicts Hester being raised in an isolated area of the world near the ocean.[3]
  • In the book, Hester believes that David Shaw is her father[12] until the events of Predator's Gold.[13] In the film, she knew that Valentine was her biological father throughout her childhood.[14]
  • In both the book and film, Tom and Hester are captured by Orme Wreyland, who pawns them off as slaves to other cities.[12][3]
  • In the film, Tom and Hester are chased by scavenger towns who wish to capture them and make a profit from them.[2] In the book, this never happens.[3]
  • In the book, Tom and Hester meet Anna as they escape Orme.[15] In the film, they meet her as Orme pawns them off.[3]
  • In the book, Anna kills Speedwell's inhabitants to defend Tom and Hester.[15] In the film, she kills the duo's potential buyers.[3]
  • In the book, Tom and Anna talk about Hester (after the latter treats her infected wound) and what Valentine plants to do with MEDUSA in the Jenny Haniver.[16] In the film, Anna heals Hester's wound from the scavenger's harpoons and mentions to her how she befriended Pandora Shaw in the Jenny Haniver. The talk about MEDUSA occurs in the Gasbag and Gondola in Airhaven.[3]
  • In the book, Tom, Hester, and Anna dine at the Gasbag and Gondola with some of Anna's friends when Shrike attacks.[17] In the film, Tom and Hester are interrogated by the Anti-Tractionists in the Gasbag and Gondola. When the main Anti-Tractionists are introduced, they are drinking an unknown type of beer inside the restaurant.[3]
  • In the book, Tom and Hester escape a burning Airhaven on a hot air balloon.[17] In the film, they escape on the Jenny Haniver with Anna and Sathya after Shrike knocks out Tom.[3]
  • In the book, Tom and Hester begin falling in love with each other after getting stranded in the Rustwater Marshes and surviving the Black Island.[18][19][20][21][22] In the film, they begin falling in love with each other after Anna saves them from Shrike in the Rustwater Marshes.[3]
  • In the book, Katherine meets Bevis after Tom is pushed off of London.[23] In the film, they meet before Hester attempts to assassinate Valentine.[3]
  • In the book, Tom gives Hester her red scarf in Peripatetiapolis as Anna takes the two to Batmunkh Gompa.[24] In the film, she already has this on, and it is unknown where she got it.[3]
  • In the book, Katherine learns that Hester is her half-sister via her father.[25] In the film, Hester finds out that Valentine is her father during the fight on the 13th Floor Elevator; Katherine never discovers that she has a half-sister.[14]
    • In Predator's Gold, Hester learns that Valentine is her biological father while being interrogated by Sathya at Rogue's Roost.[13]
  • In the book, after Tom shoots down the 13th Floor Elevator, MEDUSA implodes on London, combined with Katherine being stabbed by her father to save her half-sister[26] and the overheated engines.[27] In the film, Tom destroys London's engines after Hester uses her mother's crash drive to shut down MEDUSA. After Shaw confronts Valentine, she escapes on the Jenny Haniver and Tom destroys the 13th Floor Elevator with the airship's last remaining missile.[14]
  • In the book, Katherine dies defending Hester from Valentine.[26][27] In the film, she lives after MEDUSA is shot down and becomes the leader of London after Valentine's death at Tom's hands.[28]
  • In the series, the Anti-Tractionists declare war on the Tractionists after the death of Anna Fang.[29] In the film, the Anti-Tractionists take in the surviving Londoners.[28]
  • In the book, Tom gains PTSD from shooting down the 13th Floor Elevator[30] and witnessing the destruction of London.[31][32] In the film, he willingly fights against his home city to help the Anti-Tractionists.[14]
  • In the book, Hester helps Tom cope with the loss of his city by making both of them air traders.[31] In the film, with the defeat of London, Tom and Hester decide to travel the Traction Era together.[28]
  • The book takes place over the course of a month.[2] The film takes place in the span of several days.[3]
  • In the book, Crome is portrayed as Valentine's master and the overarching antagonist.[2] In the film, he is a staunch Municipal Darwinist - similar to Adlai Browne.[3]
    • In the novel, Lord Mayor Magnus Crome plays a more antagonistic role as Thaddeus Valentine's master. As the head of the Engineering Guild, he is a staunch supporter of the MEDUSA superweapon which he hopes to use to destroy the Shield Wall and exploit Asia as a new "Hunting Ground." The Head Historian Valentine is regarded as one of Crome's lackeys.
  • In the novel, the airships are all Zeppelins.[2] In the film, they take on different forms.[3]
    • Rivers has mentioned that Team Peter Jackson did not want Zeppelins in the film. They wanted the airships to have different infrastructures to represent what culture the pilot comes from and what purpose the airship serves.[9]
  • In the books, the Engineers are all bald.[2] In the film, they have hair.[3]
    • Rivers has mentioned that Team Peter Jackson was aware that the Engineers were bald in the books and were fanatical to an extent. They decided to make the Engineers appear more human to avoid the "cult-of-personality" portrayal in the books.[9]

In Predator's Gold, it is revealed that vengeful anti-Tractionist forces killed many of the survivors. However, a London Engineer named Popjoy is captured by the Green Storm, an extremist element of the Anti-Traction League dedicated to destroying all cities. Dr Popjoy becomes the architect of the Green Storm's stalker program. His achievements include resurrecting the undead Anna Fang as the "Stalker Fang" and building the Storm's stalker soldiers and birds.

In A Darkling Plain, it is revealed that several Londoners survived MEDUSA and have created a secret community among the ruins of London. Under the leadership of Mayor Chudleigh Pomeroy, these survivors are building a new hover city called New London, which is based on magnetic levitation technology. Tom Natsworthy, his daughter Wren, and her love interest Wolf von Kobold encounter these survivors. The Green Storm's new leader General Jiang Xiang Naga initially wants to destroy New London. However, the Londoners convince him their city is not a threat. General Naga then sacrifices his life to save London by destroying the ravenous burrowing suburb Harrowbarrow.

While Hester's character and personality in the novel and film are similar, the events of the film diverge from the novel after Anna Fang rescues Hester and Tom from the trading cluster. While Shrike tracks down Hester at Airhaven, she tries to reason with him but he insists that she keep her promise to let him kill her so that he can resurrect her as a Stalker. Unlike the film, Hester and Tom escape alone on a hot air balloon.

After landing on the Rustwater Marshes, Shrike catches up with Hester and Tom but the two escape after he is rolled over by a fleeing town. Hester and Tom hitch a ride aboard Tunbridge Wheels only to be captured by the pirate Mayor Chrysler Peavey. In the book, it is established that Hester has had a prior connection with Peavey. However, he refuses to free her until Tom, whom Peavey takes a liking to, speaks out for her.

Tunbridge Wheels sails across the Sea of Khazak to attack the damaged Airhaven on Black Island but the town is sunk by Anna Fang's Jenny Haniver. Hester, Tom, Peavey, and some of his followers survive the sinking and take a boat ashore. There, Shrike hunts them down and kills Peavey and his followers. Hester accepts Shrike's "agreement" but Tom seemingly kills the Stalker by striking a knife through his head. Hester is grief-stricken by Shrike's death. While upset with Tom, she gradually develops feelings for him.

As in film, Hester and Tom accompany Anna Fang to Batmunkh Gompa, a city built into the Shield Wall. While Hester is sympathetic to the anti-Tractionists, Tom is still enamored with London and opposes their decision to destroy his home with hundreds of innocent civilians on board. Later, Valentine infiltrates the hangar storing the Northern Air-Fleet and burns the fleet, depriving the League of its strike capability. Valentine also kills Anna Fang. Hester and Tom then take the Jenny Haniver to London in an attempt to stop the city from launching its MEDUSA weapon.

With Tom's help, Hester manages to land in the streets of London. She survives the crash of the 13th Floor Elevator, which creates a firestorm that eventually consumes London. However, Hester is captured by several Stalkers and brought to Valentine at St Paul's. There, Valentine attempts to execute her with his sword. However, Valentine's daughter throws herself between Hester and her father's blade, sacrificing her life to save Hester's. Katherine also crashes onto MEDUSA's control console, causing the weapon to malfunction and implode.

As London explodes, Hester helps a grieving and guilt-ridden Valentine to escape St Paul's. Hester is rescued by Tom but Valentine opts to stay behind with his dead daughter. The two decide to put the past behind them and travel the skies for adventures and trading.

In the novel, Shrike strikes a deal with Lord Mayor Magnus Crome to hunt down and kill Hester Shaw. Like the film, he intends to resurrect her as a Stalker so that she will not have memories of the past. The Lord Mayor also provides him with an engineering airship and crew to hunt down Hester. Shrike also first catches up with Hester Shaw and her companions at Airhaven rather than at the slave auction. Unlike the film, Shrike does not destroy Airhaven during the pursuit. Hester and Tom also escape on a hot air balloon.

While pursuing Hester and Tom, Shrike is crushed beneath Tunbridge Wheels' tracks but survives. He pursues the pair through the Rustwater Marshes and into the Sea of Khazak. Shrike is shown to be capable of swimming underwater for long distances. Following the destruction of Tunbridge Wheels, Shrike kills Mayor Chrysler Peavey and his henchmen. Hester accepts her fate but Tom hurls a knife at Shrike's head, causing his apparent death. Shrike experiences flashbacks of his former life before dying. His death coincides with London destroyed Panzerstadt-Bayreuth (not shown in the film).

Katherine Valentine has a much more prominent role in the novel, serving as a "side protagonist". Unlike the film, Katherine has a much more loving relationship with her father Thaddeus Valentine. She also has a pet wolf named Dog. While Thaddeus and the crew of the 13th Floor Elevator depart on a reconnaissance mission in the Great Hunting Ground, Katherine gradually learns about Hester Shaw and her mother Pandora Shaw.

Like the film, Katherine also strikes a friendship with the Apprentice Engineer Bevis Pod. While visiting a prison in the Gut, Katherine is traumatized when she witnesses prisoners being worked to death in a sewage pond and fed sewage. From Bevis, she learns that the prisoners are being reanimated as "Stalkers" by the Engineering Guild. With Bevis' help, the two infiltrate St Paul's Cathedrawl where they learn that the MEDUSA project is an energy weapon. The two witness the destruction of Panzerstadt-Bayreuth.

Katherine and the Guild of Historians shelter Bevis Pod inside the London Museum. After learning about her father's role in the death of Pandora and the mutilation of Hester, Katherine turns against her father and ostracizes him following his return. As London approaches the Shield Wall, she and Bevis Pod undertake a mission using the secret passage behind the Museum to destroy MEDUSA. However, they are captured by a security team of Engineers.

They are rescued by the Historians who buy them enough time to escape. While heading up to St Paul's, Bevis is killed when the 13th Floor Elevator crashes into London. Katherine continues the mission and manages to infiltrate St Paul's. There, she comes across Hester who has been captured by Thaddeus, who is about to kill her with his sword. In an attempt to save her half-sister, Katherine throws herself between Hester and her father's sword, fatally wounding herself. She also inadvertently destroys MEDUSA's control console, causing the superweapon to self-destruct and destroy London. As Katherine dies, she reconciles with her distraught and repentant father. A guilt-ridden Thaddeus cradles his daughter's corpse as they are consumed by the flames.

Cast[]

Click on each tab to view the cast of the film.

  • Frankie Adams - Yasmina Rashid
  • Kee Chan - Ermene Khan
  • Sophie Cox - Clytie Potts
  • Menik Gooneratne - Sathya Kuranath
  • Aaron Jackson - Silas Gench
  • Andrew Lees - Herbert Melliphant
  • Mark Mitchinson - Vambrace
  • Sarah Peirse - Evadne Twix
  • Caren Pistorius - Pandora Shaw
  • Peter Rowley - Orme Wreyland
  • Leifur Sigurdarson - Nils Lindstrom
  • Stephen Ure - Jasper Pewsey
  • Kahn West - Toa Heke

    • Setting[]

    According to production designer Dan Hennah, the film takes place approximately 1,700 years from now, rather than more than deliberately ambiguous dates in the books suggesting that it has been upwards of 10,000.[33]

    Reception[]

    Before its release, the film received criticism from fans of the Mortal Engines Quartet for heavily toning down Hester Shaw's scar from the novels.[34]

    Pre-Production[]

    Deborah Forte, president of the Scholastic Media Foundation, expressed interest in adapting the series in October 2006. Scholastic sought material for a family franchise, intending two movies: one combining Mortal Engines and Predator's Gold, and a second combining Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain. In an interview, Philip Reeve has said that he knows and trusts Deborah Forte to adapt the book for the big screen.

    By December 2009, Peter Jackson had acquired the rights to Mortal Engines and had, along with Christian Rivers, begun development of the film.[35] The film was kept on the back-burner for years until October 24th 2016, when Peter Jackson announced in a Facebook post that the Mortal Engines movie was underway, and would be directed by Christian Rivers, with a script written by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens.[36] The cast was announced between February and April 2017.

    Production[]

    Filming for Mortal Engines began in March 2017 in New Zealand, and concluded in July 2017. Additional pickup filming occurred in early 2018.

    In September 2018, composer Tom Holkenborg (known widely as Junkie XL) confirmed that he was scoring the movie's soundtrack.[37]

    Promotion[]

    (Behind-the-scenes content can be found here.)

    On May 5th 2017, Jackson released concept art for the film through a Facebook post.[38]

    The first official teaser trailer was released by Universal on December 18th 2017.[39], followed by the launch of the film's official site.

    On June 4th 2018, the first film stills were released by USA TODAY.[40] The next day, the official full length trailer was also revealed.[41] Universal Pictures published the first behind-the-scenes featurette on June 28.[42]

    In the lead up to an appearance at New York Comic Con, several character featurettes and posters were released in early October.[43] At the convention, the first 25 minutes of the movie were screened for audiences, and the second full-length trailer was released.[44]

    Following the trailer release, Peter Jackson announced a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes called Mortal Artists.[45] Each weekly episode focused on a different aspect of the filmmaking process, including concept art and costume-making.

    Sequels[]

    While Peter Jackson is keen to develop a film series,[46] there has been no formal announcement of sequel plans. When asked about the possibility of a second film, scriptwriter Philippa Boyens stated that "mostly, this has to work as a film. This may be the only one... I hope not because I think the story just keeps getting better and better."[47][48]

    Hence, the Mortal Engines movie will feature particular references and keep a few doors open, allowing a sequel to pick up certain threads. The box office reached USD $82 million.

    However, due to the film's poor performance of the box office, it was confirmed that there will be no sequel.

    Home Media[]

    The film was released on DVD in 2019. Mortal Engines was released digitally 24 Feb, 2019.

    Trivia[]

    • The film's main storytelling plot was "drip-feeding" - slowly showing the audience the film's plot elements, which would come to fruition at the end of it.[9]
    • Christian Rivers mentioned that Shrike's opening narration is supposed to mimic the ending of A Darkling Plain, wherein he tells post-Traction Era people about the Traction Era.[49][9]
      • Rivers also mentioned it was to also drop audiences immediately into the film's world and story.[9]
    • The opening shot of Hester was filmed on hills overlooking Wellington, New Zealand.[9]
    • The opening chase scene was originally shorter. During reshoots, Christian Rivers had Hera Hilmar run around the Salzhaken set pretending that she was avoiding traction London to make the scene longer and more exciting.[9]
    • The cameo of the Minions in the London Museum during the opening chase was the crew's subtle way of pissing off Universal.[9]
    • Originally, the scene explaining the Sixty Minute War was Tom showing schoolchildren around the museum. It was eventually replaced with the scene of Tom showing Katherine footage of the War, as Christian Rivers compared the original scene to telling bored schoolchildren about World War I.[9]
    • It took a week to shoot the scene where Tom and Katherine meet Valentine and Hester's attempt to assassinate Valentine, as it was the "collision course" for the entire film.[9]
    • The track marks seen in the Out-Country was actually a small set. The "tracks" could be moved here and there to give the allusion of moving.[9]
    • The two references to preserved foods in the film are the Twinkies that Tom and Hester eat in the Out-Country and the canned soups Shrike feeds Hester.[9]
    • The flashback of young Hester running through the grass after escaping Valentine was shot with a handheld GoPro.[9]
    • Tom and Hester's prison was one of the smallest sets created, alongside the interior of the Jenny Haniver and the hallway in Scuttlebug.[9]
    • The Shaw residence was shot on a beach located on the northern end of New Zealand's South Island.[9]
    • Sharkmoor Prison is the Traction Era version of Alcatraz.[9]
    • The scene where Shrike emerges from the ocean was shot on Breaker Beach in New Zealand.[9]
    • Originally, the windows of the Jenny Haniver were covered in ocher paper, almost like rice paper walls. It was changed to its current state of windows overlooking clouds because the paper made it feel claustrophobic.[9]
    • The scene where Shrike finds young Hester was shot in a valley outside of Wellington, New Zealand.[9]
    • Shrike's design was meant to mix a human and a robot. The final design of him is more human because the moment that Shrike became a robot, the audience could not longer connect with him.[9]
    • The swords in the Gasbag and Gondola are a part of Peter Jackson's personal collection of weapons.[9]
    • The scene where MEDUSA goes live was supposed to give the feel of a creepy ritual.[9]
    • The shot of the Anti-Tractionist gang (Fang, Kuranath, Khora, Lindstrom, Heke) escaped while Shrike climbing Airhaven's rigging was done in twenty-two takes.[9]
    • Many of the film's airships had distinct appearances to reflect their usage(s) and the technology and culture of an aviator. Only one, an unnamed minor ship that Shrike uses, reflects the original novel's airships and most airships seen in the steampunk subgenre.[9]
    • Originally, Anna told Hester fragments of her backstory before the siege of London. This was changed to be said when the group was returning to Batmunkh Gompa as the original scene heavily foreshadowed her death.[9]
    • Thaddeus does not wield a sword for the majority of the film, as the one he had in the original novel was purely ceremonial.[50][51] The only time he wields one is to fight Anna; this sword was taken from Vambrace's corpse.[9]
      • The sword that Thaddeus used was inspired by a knife used in World War I.[9]
    • Anna Fang was ultimately shot before dueling Thaddeus for her death to be more impactful.[9]
    • The audition scene for Katherine was the scene where she confronts her father after MEDUSA is deactivated.[9]
    • Bevis was originally supposed to follow Katherine around during the climax, continuing their allyship. This was ultimately cut because it didn't feel "right".[9]
    • Tom's line "You're history" before shooting down the 13th Floor Elevator was ad-libbed by Robert Sheehan. Originally, Tom said nothing before shooting down the Elevator; however, Rivers felt like Tom needed to say something before doing so. The line was suggested by Sheehan as the crew was wrapping up a shot inside the Jenny Haniver. Rivers went to Phillipa Boyens about the suggestion, and she liked it.[9]
      • The line is a joke about Tom's occupation as a Historian and how Valentine is London's Head Historian.[9]
    • The ending of the film was originally supposed to be the Jenny Haniver's engines suddenly going dark after Tom and Hester escape London. There was also extensive debate on whether to have the characters say "I love you" to each other. Ultimately, they kept the engines on (albeit resting) and had lines where Tom and Hester say "I love you" to each other without directly saying it.[9]
      • Tom's line "We go where the wind takes us" was a reference to the resting engines and how he and Hester have control of the Jenny in the aftermath of Fang's death and the halting of London.[9]
    • A lot of the sets were physical to give the actors something to interact with. The rest was expanded with CGI.[9]
    • Some real-world physics had to be abandoned in order for the actor's performances to come through.[9]
    • Some of the extras are cameos by people who work with Jackson's team, Weta Digital, or are relatives of the actors.[9]
      • One of the London extras during Valentine's speech before the destruction of the Shield Wall is Hera Hilmar's mother.[9]

    Gallery[]

    References[]

    1. ↑ Mortal Engines - official website
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Mortal Engines
    3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 Mortal Engines (2018)
    4. ↑ Mortal Engines: Twenty Years On - Philip Reeve's website
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Mortal Engines, Chapter 1: "The Hunting Ground"
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Opening scenes from Mortal Engines (2018)
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mortal Engines, Chapter 2: "Valentine"
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Mortal Engines, Chapter 3: "The Waste Chute"
    9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 9.25 9.26 9.27 9.28 9.29 9.30 9.31 9.32 9.33 9.34 9.35 9.36 9.37 9.38 Director's commentary feature on Mortal Engines DVD/Blu-ray
    10. ↑ Why Peter Jackson toned down Hester's scar for the film - Mortal Engines Movie
    11. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 4: "The Out-Country"
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Mortal Engines, Chapter 6: "Speedwell"
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Predator's Gold, Chapter 19: "The Memory Chamber"
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Climax of Mortal Engines (2018)
    15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 9: "The Jenny Haniver"
    16. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 11: "Airhaven"
    17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 12: "The Gasbag and Gondola"
    18. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 15: "The Rustwater Marshes"
    19. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 17: "The Pirate Suburb"
    20. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 19: "The Sea of Khazakh"
    21. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 20: "The Black Island"
    22. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 22: "Shrike"
    23. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 16: "The Turd Tanks"
    24. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 26: "Batmunkh Gompa"
    25. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 30: "A Hero's Welcome"
    26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 35: "The Cathedral"
    27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 36: "The Shadow of Bones"
    28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Ending of Mortal Engines
    29. ↑ Predator's Gold
    30. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 34: "Idea for a Fireworks Display"
    31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Mortal Engines, Chapter 37: "The Bird Roads"
    32. ↑ Predator's Gold, Chapter 3: "The Passenger"
    33. ↑ Leadbeater, Alex. The Minions' Role In Mortal Engines Explained. ScreenRant, June 05, 2018. Retrieved 08/20/2018.
    34. ↑ Mortal Engines fans want to know why heavily-scarred lead is now flawless - Stuff.co.nz
    35. ↑ Peter Jackson to adapt sci-fi series (stuff.co.nz)
    36. ↑ Film Announcement Post - Peter Jackson's Facebook
    37. ↑ Junkie XL's Twitter
    38. ↑ Peter Jackson's Facebook Page
    39. ↑ Mortal Engines Official Teaser Trailer [HD]
    40. ↑ Mortal Engines stills - USA Today
    41. ↑ Mortal Engines Official Trailer [HD]
    42. ↑ Mortal Engines- A Look Inside In [HD]
    43. ↑ [1]
    44. ↑ Syfy
    45. ↑ http://www.facebook.com/MortalArtists/
    46. ↑ Eric Eisenberg. "Why Peter Jackson Is Very Excited About Making Mortal Engines Sequels".
    47. ↑ Mortal Engines website
    48. ↑ Mortal Engines on IMDB
    49. ↑ A Darkling Plain, Chapter 54: "Shrike in the World to Come"
    50. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 28: "A Stranger in the Mountains of Heaven"
    51. ↑ Mortal Engines, Chapter 31: "The Eavesdropper"

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