If Spike Jonze's upcoming live-action adaptation of much-loved kids book  "Where the Wild Things Are" comes even close to its promise, it should be something pretty special.

Spike Jonze has adapted beloved kids' book 'Where the Wild Things Are.'

Early stills from the film look sublime and it would seem that Jonze, who is no slouch in the cool stakes himself, recruited a who's who of the indie world to work on the project.

Former gangster-in-therapy James Gandolfini of  "The Sopranos" fame adds his trademark growl to the voice of Carol,  one of the lumbering monsters,  alongside Forest Whitaker and a smattering of indie royalty  - Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo and Lauren Ambrose.

San Francisco-based Pulitzer-nominated writer Dave Eggers, best-known for his innovative memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,"  worked with Jonze to adapt the script from Maurice Sendak's beloved childhood tale. It tells the story of  a boy sent to bed without his supper who creates an imaginary world inhabited by ferocious monsters who crown him their leader.

The film's soundtrack comes courtesy of long-time Coen Brothers collaborator Carter Burwell alongside NY art rocker Karen O of band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and features songs by Canadian band Arcade Fire.

The film's child star, Max Records, looks like he could really steal the show, though. He plays disobedient little Max and with his sulky face framed by the hood of his dirty-white monster suit, he looks looks not unlike a pre-pubescent Edward Furlong.

From the trailer, it looks like Jonze has made a magical film that captures the other-worldly aspect of childhood. Watch Max running around with the sun glinting through trees to the pound of "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire and just try not feeling nostalgic for a lost time in the past.

He's not the only one mining our collective nostalgia for kid's books: "The Royal Tennenbaums" director Wes Anderson has turned his eagle eye from the nuances of dysfunctional family life to an adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr Fox." He is filming it using stop-motion animation, a technique he first experimented with in underwater "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."

George Clooney is voicing the heroic Mr Fox, who is persecuted by three dimwitted poultry farmers, but prevails in the end.  Anderson favorites Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are voicing too. A trailer hasn't been released yet, but here are some images.

Then, of course, there is Tim Burton's disturbingly psychedelic take on "Alice in Wonderland," with (who else) Johnny Depp made up to the nines as The Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham-Carter as the homicidal Red Queen. Here are some images.

But there must be other children's books that need a makeover for the big-screen. How about "Heidi" adapted by Sofia Coppola - or maybe "The Jungle Book" by Guillermo del Toro? Let us know your thoughts below...