Over thirty years after the release of the original double album, Jeff Wayne is completely revising his version of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds for the new live stage tour beginning next year, with Liam Neeson replacing Richard Burton as the Journalist.

Announcing the news on November 18, Wayne said, “After long consideration, I concluded that for future productions, some of HG Wells’ storylines and characters should be re-explored. It would also give me the chance to re-interpret my compositions with the  production techniques of today, exciting from a musician’s point of view.

“But perhaps the greatest opportunity was revisiting the main character of George Herbert, The  Journalist and the development of the love story between George and his fiancée Carrie (played by Anna-Marie Wayne). While it may have been the greatest opportunity, it was also the hardest decision to  make because I knew that with a re-developed storyline, a new Journalist would need to be sought as Richard Burton’s original performance, was finite.

“And whoever that person  might turn out to be, he would have to be of no less stature and quality of voice than that of Richard – an incredibly  tough act to follow.

“But once again I have been fortunate and have attracted Liam  Neeson to these New Generation productions. He has, so-to-speak, been  handed the ‘baton’ from Richard Burton, and I believe audiences and listeners alike will find Liam’s interpretation no less compelling.”

Neeson will be seen as an 11-foot high “holographic head and shoulders” for parts of the performance, in the same way that Burton’s image has been used. He will also interact with characters in the holographic wall, and, in what producers claim will be a first, he will appear “full body on stage interacting holographically with the show’s live performers”.

Tour dates can be found here, and the new double album will be released in June 2012.

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