Hollywood Lands On NEVERHOME
Praising Laird Hunt’s Neverhome, (Hachette/ Little Brown; Blackstone Audio) for its historical accuracy, Ron Charles in the Washington Post says the author not only avoids anachronisms, but gives the reader a feel for the psyches of his Civil War characters.
Charles notes that an important factor is the voices, “historically distant, like a foreign cousin of our own era.” He warns, “I suspect Hollywood is already circling around this story, trying to figure out how [one of the characters], Constance can be stripped of her irreducible oddness and transformed into a Civil War Lara Croft. (Resist, Mr. Hunt, resist!)”
Too late. Hollywood has not only circled, but landed, with director Lenny Abrahamson on board. Fortunately, Abrahamson seems comfortable with oddness. In his latest movie, Frank, he directed Michael Fassbinder wearing an oversized papier-mâché head throughout the film.
Before turning his attention to Neverhome, Abrahamson needs to finish his adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s Room, (Hachette/Little, Brown, 2010), starring Brie Larson as Ma, which is about to begin filming in Canada.
Below are updates on other recent significant movie adaptations (check our Books to Movies & TV spreadsheet for a complete listing):
The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion, (S&S, 2013) — In development.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Ben Fountain, (HarperCollins/Ecco, 2012) — Ang Lee (Life of Pi) will direct
The Bridge and A Time to Dance, Karen Kingsbury — Part of a deal with the Hallmark Channel to adapt several of Kingsbury’s novels; the first two are planned for 2015.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs, (Quirk, 2013) — Asa Butterfield (Hugo; Ender’s Game) may star as Jacob Portman. Eva Green is set to play Miss Peregrine. Production to begin, Feb., 2015, with release scheduled for March 4, 2016. Directed by Tim Burton It will be titled simply, Miss Peregrine’s Home.
The Humbling, Philip Roth, (HMH, 2009) — Starring Al Pacino and directed by Barry Levinson, expected for release by end of 2014, to qualify for the Oscars.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, (Quirk Books, 2009) — New cast members have been added, so it looks like it is actually happening.
11/22/63, Stephen King, (S&S/Scribner, 2011) — Hulu orders 9-hour series, with J.J. Abrams directing.
The Light Between Oceans, M.L. Stedman, (S&S/Scribner, 2013) — Production has begun in Marlborough, NZ
Serena, Ron Rash (HarperCollins/Ecco) — release date finally announced. VOD, 2/26/15, followed by limited theatrical release, 3/27/15
Paper Towns, John Green, (Penguin/Dutton Juvenile, 2008) — to be filmed in North Carolina.