Mary Reilly



Mary Reilly is a 1996 film which retold Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the perspective of Jekyll's housekeeper. Midqay through shooting, Jim Henson's Creature Shop was contacted to provide a motion-control rig. For the transformation sequence, as star John Malkovich went through the motions of transitioning from Jekyll to Hyde, a motion-control camera captured the actor's movements; the Creature Shop's rig was designed to copy the head and upper torso movements and be programmable frame by frame.

According to Matt Bacon in No Strings Attached, "due to the difficulties in obtaining the accuracy needed and considering the timescale within everyone was working, the results were less perfect than expected. The Creature Shop's rig was barely used in the film." Still, Jim Henson's Creature Shop received screen credit for "transformation effects." John Stephenson spoke favourably of the experience: "It was a very good thing for us in many ways, because at that point we were seen very much as a company that solely made puppets. Importantly, we've transcended that now, and are a fully recognized, big-name effects group. Going through that experience with motion control technicians was good for the company's profile, helping to bring in more work."

Cast

 * Julia Roberts as Mary Reilly
 * John Malkovich as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde
 * George Cole as Poole
 * Michael Gambon as Mary's Father
 * Kathy Staff as Mrs. Kent
 * Glenn Close as Mrs. Farraday