a.) wish to come to fruition, or
b.) stay in the dream world because certain actors or directors perfect for the project are no longer living
It was all spawned one day by reading Silver Screen Fiend by Patton Oswalt. In it, he has a section called Whistling In the Dark where he imagines double features that would make any film geek's mouth water. So in the spirit of that, I decided to do my own imaginings and most wanted movies.
This is a project that I would like to see come to fruition.
The novel that made well dressed scholarly psychopaths cool. This is a book I would love to see get the adaptation treatment. It's 500 pages, broken into 2 parts. With the end of Part 1 harking back to the Prologue of the book. The book I believe has been optioned by Maggie
DIRECTOR: David Fincher
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl were well established books which were adapted into successful films. Even Social Network's source material was The Accidental Billionaires. This would be a perfect project for him because it explore a side that is not as intensely dark as Se7en, Zodiac, or Dragon Tattoo but it still has considerably dark characters and story.
SCREENWRITER: Donna Tartt
Richard Papen
Character description: Has a need to feel loneliness because his parents don't like him and he has no siblings. Has an obsession with fitting in and craves attention. Also dependent, prideful and accepts the fact that things can't always be.
Who should play him: Andrew Garfield
Julian Morrow
Character description: the Classics professor that teaches a limited-enrollment course of Ancient Greek. Richard wishes to impress him to gain admittance.
Who should play him: Ian McKellen
Henry Winter
Character description: linguistics expert. Intelligent and very laid back.
Who should play him: Ben Whishaw
Frances Abernathy
Character description: a Greek scholar who is thin and has bright red hair. Has classy taste and is always dressed in fancy suits no matter what the occasion.
Who should play him: Xavier Dolan
Charles Macauley
Character description: One half of the fraternal Macauley twins. Dark blonde hair like Camilla. Spontaneous and doesn't really care what people say. Does unexpected, wild things.
Who should play him: Jamie Bell
Camilla Macauley
Character description: One half of the fraternal Macauley twins. Dark blonde hair like Charles. Confident but this trait is sometimes confused with her selfishness.
Who should play her: Mia Wasikowska
Bunny Corcoran
Character description: Very cheesy and easy going. Always cracking jokes.
Who should play him: Jesse Plemons
AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
JONESTOWN
Year of Release: 1982
Director: Robert Altman
After the failure of Popeye, Altman takes on his most ambitious project yet with an astounding cast that includes Altman regulars Lily Tomlin, Elliot Gould, Ned Beatty, as well as Jack Lemmon, Brad Dourif, Allen Garfield, Roy Scheider, Karen Allen, Deborah Kerr, Sidney Poitier, a film debut from a young Emily Watson
The film becomes the go to reference guide for movies about cults. It also secures Best Picture and Altman a Best Director Oscar.
Powers Boothe gives a career defining performance as Jim Jones.
GHOST RIDER
Director: Wim Wenders
Rush is one of my top 5 favorite bands. If anyone needs a primer on the band I urge them to watch the wonderful documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage. Of all three members, the one that I find the most interesting is the drumer, Neil Peart.
This film will be an intimate look into the life of the drummer from Rush. After the death of his wife and his only daughter with the span of a year, Peart hits the road on his motorcycle. The spine of the film will be Peart's own book Ghost Rider. It will also incorporate the feeling of being in a band for almost 40 years with the same two members. Who could almost be looked at as extended family members at this point.
Tom Hanks will play Neil Peart.
An interesting selection of projects for sure. As a writer myself I've had a few of my own little ideas, some of which have been made into compelling scripts. For one thing, a lot of people maintain that Lovecraft is unfilmmable, a claim that I have thoroughly debunked (http://hitchcocksworld.blogspot.ca/2014/07/is-lovecraft-unfilmable.html). Most people who have read my screenplay adaptation of "At the Mountains of Madness" agree that it is a brilliant piece of work and it stands as proof that Lovecraft can be made into great movies. I'm still not sure who I'd get to direct, but I've wondered about Kurt Russell and Mary Elizabeth Winstead for the two lead roles.
ReplyDeleteAs for other projects, one that I have wanted to do for years is a proper film adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds". By that I mean of course one that sticks as close as possible to Wells' original text (any necessary deviations notwithstanding) and preserves the Victorian setting of the book rather than attempting to modernize it. Both Pal and Spielberg's versions tried to update the setting and changed major details of the story for better or worse (I still don't think Spielberg made the right call by omitting the Thunder Child, a crucial part of the book). I actually did come up with a partial outline covering the first half of the book, and it would have been fairly close outside of some minor deviations to simplify the narrative and allow it to flow better (I'd have to merge the narrator with his brother, and I might flesh out some of the supporting cast as well). I really should get back on that at some point.
I would like to see Guillermo Del Toro take a crack at Lovecraft.
DeleteInteresting thoughts on War of the Worlds. I never read the book so I didn't have a comparison when I watched the 50's and 00's versions.
The Secret History is one of my favorites. I'm surprised there isn't a movie. Fincher is a good choice. You can read my book review here, if it has any interest:
ReplyDeletehttp://moviesandsongs365.blogspot.com/2010/08/book-review-secret-history-donna-tartt.html
There is kind of a movie version, if you consider the similar River's Edge (1986). I prefer the atmosphere of the book, but the movie is worth a look.
I did see River's Edge and enjoyed it. You make a great point by bringing it up.
ReplyDelete