Claim: In 2016, A Monster Calls was released.

A Monster Calls is a 2016 dark fantasy drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Patrick Ness , based on his novel of the same name . The film stars Sigourney Weaver , Felicity Jones , Toby Kebbell , Lewis MacDougall , and Liam Neeson , and tells the story of Conor -LRB- MacDougal -RRB- , a child whose mother -LRB- Jones -RRB- is terminally ill ; one night , he is visited by a giant tree-like monster -LRB- Neeson -RRB- , who states that he will come back and tell him three stories .   A Monster Calls premiered on September 10 , 2016 , at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival . It was then released in Spain on October 7 , 2016 , and in the United Kingdom on January 1 , 2017 . In the United States , the film began a limited release in on December 23 , 2016 , followed by a wide release on January 6 , 2017 . It received positive reviews , being praised for its themes , directing , performances and visual effects . The film has grossed $ 45.6 million worldwide .