Nearly a year ago, Universal Pictures gave us a look at the tree-hugging hero of their computer-animated adaptation of Dr. Suess’ beloved fable The Lorax. It was then that the films’ producers revealed they would actually show the face of the shady Once-ler, whose countenance was always shielded in the book, as seen below.

Now, thanks to EW, we have a glimpse of what the Once-ler once was. And far from some grimacing ghoul, he is shown here as a “fresh-faced young man” just about to chop down the first truffala tree to create the first thneed – which is of course a thing that everyone needs.

Some may decry such a seemingly radical change to the look of the mysterious Once-ler. But producer Christopher Meledandri, who collaborated with Suess’ estate and widow, explains that the creative team behind The Lorax scoured the book for context, and decided that since much of the story takes place in flash back it is integral to the tale’s message that the Once-ler is seen as more than just a greedy monster:

“The minute you make the Once-ler a monster, you allow the audience to interpret that the problem is caused by somebody who is different from me, and it ceases to be a story that is about all of us,” says Meledandri. “Then it’s a story about, ‘Oh I see, the person who led us into the predicament is not a person. It’s somebody very, very different.’ And so it takes you off the hook.”

Meledandri believes this approach is in line with Dr. Suess’ intention, that “There is a Once-ler in all of us….He’s pure of heart when we meet him. He has no nefarious agenda,” Meledandri adds. “He’s just going off to follow his path and seize his piece of the American dream. He’s in this frontier doing that, in this beautiful setting. Had he not been carried away by greed, everything would have gone okay.”

To further paint the Once-ler as an everyman, producers asked Ed Helms, whose often cast in smiling schlub roles, to lend his voice, as is: “That was a conscious decision to just be me, be an average person,” the actor says. “I felt that was the best representation for the young Once-ler.”

It’s as the Once-ler ages, and shares his tragic tale of avarice with a curious young boy (Zac Efron) that he more closely resembles the green-gloved shut-in we all remember. “The old Once-ler is kind of stricken with grief over his own legacy, and what he has done,” Helms says. “There is a little more poignancy there.”

But as sad as his tale is, the bit of hope lies in whether or not the boy will hear the lesson the Lorax offered and the Once-ler ignored. Something the filmmakers hope will resonate with audiences young and old:

Now, I’ve often lamented movie studios re-imagining stories I loved as a kid with the dazzling panache of CGI but little imagination or innovation. However, I have no reservations about Universal’s Lorax because it’s being crafted by the same people behind the surprisingly wonderful Horton Hears a Who! And it sounds like this adaptation will be as careful to preserve the tone and message of this Suess story as Horton did. This coupled with an incredible voice cast that includes Helms, Rob Riggle, Betty White, and Danny DeVito as the Lorax, has made me confident that this Lorax will be a fitting and fun adaptation that’ll thrill adults and kids alike with a strong story and a sharp sense of humor.

The Lorax opens March 2, 2012.

Are you intrigued by this Once-ler and The Lorax?

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