Cinematical

So it would seem that the Weitz brothers have a thing for sweeping fantasy epics. Empire online reports that Chris and Paul Weitz have signed to adapt the fantasy series Elric of Melniboné written by Michael Moorcock. The novels (and there are over a dozen of them) center on an albino emperor who is forever cursed with a sword called Stormbringer that is the source of his supernatural powers, but unfortunately the sword also sucks life force leaving Elric weak and sickly. That hardly sounds like the ideal protagonist for a big budget Hollywood film, but a lot could happen in the re-write process. The Weitz's sound like big fans of the books, saying "Of the great classic fantasy series, it is the one that hasn't been done yet".

Chris Weitz (with brother Paul producing) has just finished work on the adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig; he served as both co-writer and director. Already another film is in the works from the series (there are three Compass-related books in total), but that film will be working from a Hossein Amini script. Chris has also signed on to adapt the big-screen version of Nick Flynn's brutally funny memoir Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City for Fox. The Elric Saga is a tricky story to tackle in one film, and the project has yet to attach a director, but Paul is already hinting at a little nepotism, saying, "I'd really like it if my brother directed them".