The Hollywood Reporter reports that Hunger Games director Gary Ross is in talks to direct The Secret Life of Houdini for Lionsgate.
Lionsgate's Houdini project, one of several in development around Hollywood, is loosely based on The Secret Life of Houdini, The Making of America's First Superhero by William Kalush and Larry Sloman. Summit Entertainment (which was acquired by Lionsgate in January) picked up feature-film rights to the book in March 2009 with a eye towards launching a fictional action adventure franchise "featuring a character who is part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes." The most current screenplay is by Noah Oppenheim.
Ross directed 2003's Seabiscuit before helming the mega-hit Hunger Games. He recently bowed out of directing the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire.
Ironically, Catching Fire will now be directed by Francis Lawrence, who is attached to direct his own "action adventure" Houdini project at Columbia/Sony. That project is being written by Scott Frank.
Might we see a battle of the Houdini movies next year?
Let the games begin!
Why do we need an "action-adventure" Houdini? Isn't Houdini cool enough to stand on his own?
ReplyDeleteI love Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, but Houdini doesn't need all that! His real life was crammed with all manner of ups, downs, twists and turns as it is!
*Sigh* Looks like if I want a serious treatment of Houdini's life, I'm going to have to write the damn thing myself after all. As to whether Hollywood would buy such a thing, I have no idea. Might take some creative enterprising to make it happen!
That said, I wouldn't mind seeing two Houdini-movie semi-comedic romps in the meantime. Maybe Houdini done a-la the new "Sherlock Holmes" movies with Robert Downey Jr. would be fun, even if it will probably be complete nonsense. I just wish it was Tim Burton directing, not Mr. Shaky-Cam Gary Ross. Tim Burton would make it totally fun and ridiculous! :P
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