Hollywood, CA - After years of delays, filming has finally wrapped on The Family Circus: The Movie, and the director's controversial vision for bringing the beloved comic strip to life will finally face public scrutiny.

"Yes, it's going to be hilarious," writer and director Werner Herzog explained. "But I also wanted to explore the deep sadness in this family that has always been hidden under the surface, shaping their lives and the way that they interact with the world around them."
Herzog also helmed the controversial 1981 movie adaptation of The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover, which is a classic example of the director's unique interpretation of everyday reality. Although initially released with a family friendly G rating, the director's cut of that movie was considered by many to be unnecessarily violent. Roger Ebert, one of the few critics to write a positive review at the time, appreciated how Grover represented the monster in all of us and compared the movie favorably to Bergman's The Seventh Seal, stating that both films present a raw and unflinching depiction of the inevitability of "the end of one's own book".

Known for pushing his actors to their limits, Herzog has stated that he accepted nothing less than perfection during production of The Family Circus: The Movie. He has also revealed that the film remained true to its comic strip origins. "Yes, the circle. It's always there, isn't it? Closing in on them. Suffocating them. They live in fear of it, don't they? And there is no escape but death."
I love the strip for its in-your-face religiosity.