For those who have read The Road, Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic book, or those who liked The Proposition, this should come as interesting news (from the LA Times):
The Cormac McCarthy novel is a Hollywood favorite and could head to the big screen soon.
The material seems intended more for brooding literary-types than multiplex moviegoers: Cormac McCarthy’s novel “The Road” depicts a sunless, hopeless world in which cannibalism and sexual enslavement are everyday realities and all the wildlife is extinct.
But since being published last year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller has had Hollywood talking, winding up on the nightstands of Sean Penn, writer-director Peter Berg and Brad Pitt, among others.
Now, after being championed by Oprah’s Book Club in June, a big screen adaptation is about to get the go-ahead. Dimension Films is in final negotiations to acquire North American distribution rights to “The Road,” with Viggo Mortensen expected to star and John Hillcoat (“The Proposition”) attached to direct.
“Cormac McCarthy is simply one of the most admired, talented and respected authors of his generation and ‘The Road’ is one of his masterworks,” Dimension’s co-chairman Bob Weinstein said in a statement.Mortensen would portray a father struggling to transport his son across a post-apocalyptic wasteland to a rumored safe zone on the coast, battling criminals, insane people and other survivors en route. “Visually, it’s going to be a very beautiful movie,” Mortensen told MTV earlier this month, seeming to confirm rumors of his involvement.
The reclusive, septuagenarian McCarthy has become one of Hollywood’s hottest writers. His novel “All the Pretty Horses” reached the screen in 2000. In November, the Coen brothers will release an adaptation of McCarthy’s western/crime thriller “No Country for Old Men” starring Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. And the McCarthy novel “Blood Meridian,” optioned by producer Scott Rudin, has been in development purgatory since the ’90s.
Looks like Hillcoat cast his The Proposition main man Guy Pearce in the starring role.
That works for me. Have you read the book, Nick? It’s fantastic.
No. I’ve read Blood Meridian, which is one of my favorite American novels (which, incidentally, Ridley Scott is considering directing). But All The Pretty Horses bored me, as a novel I never finished and film, and it made me lose some incentive in reading the rest of his work. Was considering reading No Country For Old Men, but hearing that the Coen brothers were writing and directing made me want to wait and see the film instead of reading the book, something that rarely happens to me.
Considering reading the book before the film comes out, though, since it’s been so highly lauded. I mean, Oprah’s Book Club!
All the Pretty Horses bored me, too. I read Blood Meridien, but I just didn’t get it. Probably more my fault, since the book is generally acclaimed as a classic. No Country for Old Men seemed deliberately uncinematic, so I’m fascinated to see that the Coen Brothers will do with it.
Took a while, a handy dictionary, some internet searches, and a couple of re-reads to get into it, yes. But it was definitely worth it.
Charlize Theron has joined the film, to begin shooting next month. Hadn’t noticed Viggo Mortensen had taken over the lead again (didn’t Guy Pearce replace him?).
I would imagine she’s playing the man’s wife, and if the film is faithful to the novel that’s a very small part. Given Theron’s stature, I’m guessing they’re expanding the “flashback” scenes.
I’m guessing they’re aiming for some Christmas/awards slot. Really should take my time with the book, but got a whole bunch of books during the holiday, so I’m booked for spring on that front. Maybe some time this summer.
Yup, Dark Horizons says late 2008.
Been reading The Road now for a week or two. It’s mostly the language that engages you with McCarthy, lulling you into the rhythm and pulling you into its world. Incredibly dark stuff.
This New York Times article about the filming they’re doing makes me happy. Feels like it might end up as one of the best movies of the year.