GaryFleder Tagged Articles at Cinematical

If you happen to be a fan of mystery novels from the 60's and 70's, then the name John D. MacDonald probably rings a bell. If not, it looks like you are going to get the chance to get to know him, but on the big-screen instead. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Fox is planning on a feature film version of McDonald's The Deep Blue Good-By, and that Gary Fleder (the man behind Kiss the Girls and Runaway Jury) is in talks to direct.

Good-By was the first novel in McDonald's Travis McGee series. McGee is a Korean War vet and amateur sleuth who works as a "salvage consultant," recovering property and money for his clients (for a tidy fee) while operating out of a houseboat in Florida -- sadly without an alligator named Elvis. MacDonald wrote over 20 novels starring Travis McGee, so the project could be a great opportunity for Fox to get a new franchise up and running.

Fleder's feature debut was Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead back in 1995. Since then, Fleder has mainly made thrillers, but, he recently got the chance to flex his biopic muscles with the Ernie Davis biography, The Express, starring Dennis Quaid and Charles S. Dutton. Fleder might have the most experience when it comes to thrillers, but MacDonald was known for having a dark sense of humor in his capers. So if Fleder does sign for the film, he might have to lighten up a little this time around.

Imagine you're just a normal woman living a normal life. Then, you experience a really traumatic event. You need time to regroup and heal, so you move to a small town on the beach. What could be better than the relaxing pulse of waves, and a cozy environment perfect for recovery? Unfortunately, while you're living in your ocean-front paradise, you end up unearthing a crime and finding yourself in the middle of a new drama. This is the premise for 20th Century Fox's upcoming thriller. It's called Darkling Cove, and it comes from a spec script by Caroline Case -- whose lone other feature writing credit is Impostor, a Philip K. Dick adaptation.

Variety reports that Gary Fleder has been picked to direct, and he'll also produce the film along with John Davis, who got the project started with his discretionary fund under Davis Entertainment. This re-teams Case and Fleder, as he directed Impostor, and Variety says she wrote a draft of Don't Say a Word. He's also the helmer behind films like Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Kiss the Girls, and Runaway Jury. So basically, he's had a pretty decent track record. Now they just need to start casting the film. He could revisit the past and re-team with Ashley Judd, but that'd be too predictable. Who else can pull of the balance of drama, personal issues, and new thrills?

I don't twitch in anticipation for the next sporting event, but like many people who fall outside of the normal sports radar, there are legends that stick out. They've transcended their sport and become inextricably linked to our consciousness. Some, like Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong, became the face of their sport, turning disinterest into rapt attention. But what would've happened if Armstrong lost his battle with cancer, or found his career cut short by illness? They'd probably fade into public memory much like Lou Gherig, who is possibly known more for his illness than his athletic achievements. However, what if they got sick before they ever had a chance at a professional career?

Director Gary Fleder will explore this in February, when he begins to film the sports biopic The Express, based on Robert Gallagher's book, Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express. The movie will tell the story of Ernie Davis, a football star from the sixties who never played a professional game. As an amateur at Syracuse University , Davis not only achieved All-American honors twice, but he was also the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, the Holy Grail of college football. Shortly after being drafted into the NFL, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. Not even one year later, Davis was dead, never having the chance to play professional ball.

Davis was obviously destined for great things -- both athletically and socially. I can only wonder what he would have achieved as a talented African American athlete in a race-torn country. Fleder has a great story in his hands, and I'm intrigued to see what he does with it.