Tom Waits and Terry Gilliam to provide voices for THE MONSTER OF NIX

Tom Waits and Terry Gilliam are set to provide voices for a 30-minute short called The Monster of Nix, by Dutch artist/director Rosto. The two have worked together on a number of Gilliam's past films. Waits had a cameo in 1991's The Fisher King, his track ‘Earth Died Screaming’ was used during a key moment of Twelve Monkeys, and most recently he had a big role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Nix is an animated musical about Willy, “a troubled boy who fights the destructive force of an all-devouring monster in the village of Nix.” Waits will voice Virgil, “a terrifying giant pitch-black swallow,” and Gilliam is voicing the Ranger, “who locks himself up in terror in his forest cabin.”

Here is a statement from the director via a press release:

Tom Waits was always the main inspiration for the dark and theatrical appearance of Virgil. But I had never expected to actually have the privilege to work with Tom. The results are gobsmacking…

I asked Gilliam because I thought his voice was made for this role. He felt rather uncomfortable about the singing. And that’s exactly how I wanted this character to sound: scared and insecure. The poor bastard suffered but I got exactly what I wanted.

Rosto also wrote the film's music, and the score features contributions from  the Dutch Metropole Orkest, experimental band The Residents and French indie band The Dø. Below are some character posters from the official site.