The Bronze Horseman movie update #4: It might be happening at last!

HUGE news from Paullina Simons overnight! She posted on her blog that the movie of her book trilogy is finally going ahead!

“Hello to my patient and wonderful fans! I know you’ve been asking me for an update on the film adaptation for The Bronze Horseman, and I’ve wished I could give one to you. And now, I finally can! So happy to tell you we’ve signed with Getaway Pictures for the series.”

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know this has been an on-again, off-again project, but after the successful adaptation of Outlander to the small screen I have high hopes something as ambitious as The Bronze Horseman can finally be filmed.

So who do you think should be cast? I have a not-so-secret wish for Henry Cavill to play Shura. Even Ms. Simons has indicated she thinks he would make a great Alexander, in an interview here. Remember, whoever plays him has to live up to this quote: “He was more beautiful than that morning sun.” *sigh*

I once suggested Mia Wasikowska for Tatiana – what do you think?

And so we must wait and hope. Keep track of developments with me on IMDB and on Paullina Simons’ website.

Cover reveal: Gabriel’s Rapture

The lovely Sylvain Reynard today revealed the cover and release date of his sequel to Gabriel’s Inferno, to be called Gabriel’s Rapture.

It will be released on May 22, and I for one am very excited!

The cover intrigues me, as I’m sure I recognise the gentleman in the top corner – Michael Fassbender, or maybe Tom Hiddleston? Either way, he is yummy!

FYI, Gabriel’s Inferno is on special at the moment at the Amazon Kindle store for $US4.99. I urge you  to read it – it’s fabulous! Click HERE to read my review of it from last year.

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“Guernsey” to be made into a movie, Branagh and Winslet onboard

One of my favourite books of all time, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, is being made into a film directed by Kenneth Branagh!

I am soooo excited about this project, and became even more so when I read recently that Kate Winslet had signed on to play Juliet. Empireonline.com had this to say:

“Since deciding not to return for superhero sequel Thor 2, Kenneth Branagh has been mulling over at least two potential projects: novel adaptation The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society and romantic drama Italian Shoes. It looks like he’s pushing ahead first with Pie Society, grabbing Kate Winslet for the female lead.

Adapted by The Opposite Of Sex writer/director Don Roos from Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer’s book, the film will see Winslet play writer Juliet Ashton, who wrote magazine columns during World War II. In the aftermath of the conflict, she’s contacted by Channel Islander Dawsey Adams, who tells her the intriguing tale of the book society formed to help undercut the Nazi presence on Guernsey. Ashton decides to investigate, and romance blossoms…

It’ll be a reunion for the director and star, as Winslet played Ophelia in Branagh’s Hamlet, which he starred in and directed back in 1996. This time around, Branagh will most likely stick behind the camera. He’s in pre-production now and aims to kick off shooting in March.”

One of the most fabulous things about the book was that it was entirely made up of letters to and from Juliet. I’m hoping they keep them as a theme, but I guess the need for more visuals may push them into the background. I have confidence in Ken and Kate, though, to give us a beautiful film with amazing performances.

Who should be cast as Dawsey? I’ll be watching IMDB closely HERE for casting news.

The movie is due for release next year.

Update: The Bronze Horseman film

So, things aren’t sounding too good about the likelihood of a movie version of The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons, as we reported here last year.

Ms. Simons has posted this on her blog:

Dear Friends,

And now for some news about the film option of The Bronze Horseman. Things have not worked out quite as I hoped, but that’s only because I can’t see the future and don’t know what’s still ahead. 

At the moment, though, the 18-month option with Andy Tennant’s production company has unfortunately come to an end. After months of no activity at all, we tried to extend the option at deadline time (plus 30 days grace), but we could not resolve the most important issue, and that is whose script to use, mine or Ross’s. I strongly felt and continue to feel that Ross’s vision for the story and adaptation of the book were diametrically opposed to my own. So reluctantly we parted ways, and the rights to the book have reverted back to me. The difference between 2009 and now is that now I have a finished script. Which means that we can now seek and find someone else who gets the story, loves the characters, and perhaps can put his/her passion behind the project to get the film off the ground, so to speak, and onto the big screen, but this time with my script as a condition of development.

I know you are disappointed by this and let down, as you can imagine I am, but don’t be disheartened. Because I remain hopeful and optimistic that great things are just around the corner for our two crazy kids. We have a couple of intriguing prospects we are working on and I will keep you posted as soon as I know something more concrete. In the meantime, you know that Tania and Shura live on inside my heart, especially these days, as I immerse myself in the young doomed life of the two people who once loved each other and who made Alexander.

IMDB still has it listed in the development stage and scheduled for release in 2012, but obviously that’s unlikely now. It had been an interesting proposal with Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch, The Bounty Hunter) directing.

As we said before, Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has a lot of support for the role of Alexander Barrington Belov, but is busy at the moment being Superman. I’ve also seen people suggesting Joe Manganiello (True Blood) – he seems too old to me – and, of course, the Facebook page is still up in support of my pick, Robert Pattinson, here. 

Remember, whoever plays Alexander has to live up to this quote: “He was more beautiful than that morning sun.”

For my Tatiana, I’ve been thinking maybe Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland)?

And so we must wait and hope. Keep track of developments with me on IMDB and on Paullina Simons’ website.

Cosmopolis, by Don DeLillo

• Format: Paperback 224 pages
• Published: 02 April 2004
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Back cover blurb:

It’s a stunningly eventful day in the life of Eric Packer, a multi-billionaire who owns a forty-eight-room apartment and a decommissioned nuclear bomber and who has recently married the heiress of a vast European fortune. Sitting in his stretch limousine as it moves across the middle of Manhattan, he finds the city at a virtual standstill because the President is visiting, a rapper’s funeral is proceeding through town, and a violent protest is being staged in Times Square by anti-globalist groups. Eric’s bodyguards are worried that he is a target and, indeed, he is – although the danger, as it turns out, is not from protesters or political assassins but from an anonymous man who lives in an abandoned building.

‘One of America’s smartest and most disturbing writers’ – “The Times”.

‘DeLillo shapes a rhetoric for our age’ – “Observer”.

My review:

OK, so I admit I only picked this book up (figuratively – I read it on my Kindle) because of the announcement last week that the lovely Robert Pattinson is to star in the film adaptation, directed by David Cronenberg, which will begin filming soon. As a result, I read it with GQ HHH pictured in my mind as the protagonist Eric Packer… and what a nice image that was. *sigh*

Robert Pattinson, photographed by Nathaniel Goldberg for GQ, April 2009

But to be honest, I’ve got to hope the screenplay is much better than the book. All the way through I kept thinking Cosmopolis was very much like Martin Amis’ Money, one of HHH’s favourite books, which I loathed. It’s an interesting idea for a book, but it was just so oddly written. I got very confused keeping track of which “he” the author was talking about at times.

Nevertheless, I think it will make a great film, and I’m giving it three cupcakes for potential Pattinson nudity. And if he says “Give me the eggplant” – or preferably “give me the aubergine” – I will die a happy woman!

My rating: 3/5

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The Hunger Games – my casting choices

*May contain spoilers and sarcasm*

On Friday night I finished reading Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and it left me with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

While I was reading it, I couldn’t help think about the plans for turning the series into a movie and who might be cast. At this stage the movie is still in development for Lionsgate with no director chosen yet, although this website has hinted at New Zealander Andrew Adamson (The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe), Susanna White (Generation Kill), Sam Mendes, David Slade (Twilight: Eclipse) and Francis Lawrence (Water for Elephants), among others.

So, here are my suggestions for a few of the lead roles:

Coin: She’s only in the last book, but the whole time I was reading I pictured Mary McDonnell.

Maybe Coin's a Cylon?

Haymitch: In my head, Haymitch is Ray Winstone, although he might be a little old.

President Snow: Smells like blood and roses, so who better than Michael Sheen?

Which leads me to the leads. And honestly, there was only one person in my head while reading Katniss. She’s kick-ass, feisty, but ridiculously indecisive and a lot of times I just wanted to slap her. Sound familiar?

Kniss is Kstew

Gale: Of course, her best friend has to be at home in the woods, be a bit buff, eminently patient but ultimately never the one she really wants. If they had motorcycles in District 12 I’m sure they’d fix them up together.

Always the bridesmaid...

So that would, of course, leave Peeta. Despite the fact quite a few people I know think he would make the perfect Finnick, while I was reading the books all I could think of was how Robert Pattinson was perfect for Peeta. Along with the fact he kind of comes as a package with KStew, Peeta is sweet, kind, decorates cakes and always knows the right thing to say or do. In other words, the perfect man.

Peeta will need that hammock when he has to sleep in the trees

Of course, if he was Finnick, he would have to swim, offer us sugar cubes, wield a trident and wander about in his underwear… wait, maybe Rob could play Finnick as well? 😉

The Bronze Horseman to be made into a film

One of the most exciting things I found out about this week was that The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons, is in development to be turned into a film.

I read the book in 2000 when it was first released here in New Zealand, and I absolutely loved it. My mother gave it to me as a birthday present after she had heard the author interviewed on the radio by leading broadcaster at the time, Paul Holmes. Holmes raved about the book, despite its outward appearance as a bit of “chick lit”. Sure, it deals with themes of love and UST, but set amid the Siege of Leningrad it also has serious themes of war, starvation, cannibalism and the privations of Stalinist Russia.

According to IMDB, the movie is in the development stage and is scheduled for 2012. Movie insider @Larry411 tweeted that it had been at the scripting stage since March 17 and would be directed by Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch, The Bounty Hunter).

Already there is huge interest in the project, with Facebook pages set up for casting suggestions. Already Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has a lot of support for the role of Alexander Barrington Belov, but for my money I would like to see Robert Pattinson in a role as challenging as this. A Facebook page has been set up in support of Rob as Alexander here.

Remember, whoever plays Alexander has to live up to this quote: “He was more beautiful than that morning sun.”

As for casting Tatiana, who knows? We will have to watch this space. Keep track of developments with me on IMDB and on Paullina Simons’ website.