Stanely Tucci, Ewan McGregor on 'Jack the Giant Slayer'

Stanley Tucci at a "Meet the Filmmakers" session, held at... — Stanley Tucci at a "Meet the Filmmakers" session, held at the Apple Store in central London. (Feb. 13, 2013) Credit: AP

By JOHN ANDERSON. Special to NewsdayFebruary 22, 2013

'Jack the Giant Slayer," the latest phantasmagorical big-budget, special-effects film from "X-Men" director Bryan Singer first got under way about three years ago. But back then it had a different director -- Singer replaced D.J. Caruso -- different writers (Singer brought in Christopher McQuarrie to rework the existing script) and even a different title: Somewhere along the line, "Jack the Giant Killer" became "Jack the Giant Slayer," and while "Fee, fi, fo, fum" is still in the script, no one says anything like "I smell the blood of an Englishman" (much less talks about grinding bones or making bread).

There is a beanstalk, though, and several first-rate actors, namely Stanley Tucci, as the villainous Lord Roderick, and Ewan McGregor, as the king's most trusted knight, Elmont. They spoke to Newsday contributor John Anderson from a press day at London's Hampton Court Palace -- originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey during the reign of Henry VIII.