JoePenhall Tagged Articles at Cinematical

One of my concerns when I started doing this column was that each forthcoming adaptation I covered would equate to a new movie losing the ability to surprise me. What more effective way to strip oneself of the thrill of cinematic discovery, I thought, than to pore over the source material before watching? Ultimately I decided that the prospect of literary discovery along with the chance to write the column more than compensated for that risk, but here's some evidence that maybe I shouldn't have worried at all: having read Cormac McCarthy's The Road, I'm more excited to see John Hillcoat's adaptation – coming this November -- than I ever would have been otherwise.

At last count, it looked like Guy Pearce might have been replacing Viggo Mortensen in the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Fortunately (and no offense, Guy) it looks like Viggo is still on board ... plus he just got a gal named Charlize Theron as a co-star. According to Variety, the Oscar-winning blonde will play the main character's wife, a small but important character who will appear mostly through flashbacks.

An admitted fan of the source material, Ms. Theron will be working alongside director John Hillcoat (of the excellent The Proposition) and screenwriter Joe Penhall (of the strangely entertaining Enduring Love). The adaptation, which is being produced by 2929 Entertainment and distributed by the Weinsteins' Dimension Films, tells the story of "a man who embarks on a nightmarish road trip after a nuclear explosion in an attempt to transport his son to safety while fending off cannibals." Awesome.

And thanks also to Variety for the reminder: I need a good book for my Sundance flight -- and The Road is definitely going to be it. I think that will be the first "Oprah's Book Club" selection that I've ever read. (No offense, Oprah.)

What a difference a month can make. Back in September, Viggo Mortensen seemed pretty confident when he told MTV Movies Blog that he was in talks to star in a big-screen version of Cormac McCarthy's, The Road. Now, Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Guy Pearce could be replacing Mortensen in the film. Mortensen was never officially confirmed, so Pearce as a replacement would seem to be the most likely scenario -- especially since the story isn't exactly teeming with characters. The novel focuses on a father and son who are survivors of an apocalyptic event and are trying to make it to 'the coast' while surrounded by fellow survivors who have reverted to cannibalism. If you haven't read the book, I really recommend picking it up, although be warned: don't let that Oprah Book Club selection sticker lull you into thinking this is a feel-good story. Nothing could be further from the truth.

John Hillcoat is already set to direct the Joe Penhall adaptation and since Hillcoat worked with Pearce on the revisionist western, The Proposition, back in 2006, that could tip the scales in Pearce's favor. The film could be a bit of a hard-sell with audiences to begin with. There is some truly disturbing stuff going on in the story, and for those of you who have read the book, you probably know what I mean. Luckily, no matter which actor they go with, I think either would be more than capable of handling the role, don't you? The Road is tentatively scheduled for release in 2009.

Fresh off the arid desolation of the Australian Outback in The Proposition, director John Hillcoat is going to dip his cinematic toes into another bleak landscape by taking on some Cormac McCarthy. Although the author has been writing for over 40 years, his work is only hitting screens recently. Although the first attempt, Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses flopped, there are three more waiting for their shot. First, we've got the Coen Brother's No Country for Old Men, which will be released later this year. Then, there is Blood Meridian, which Ridley Scott is still attempting to get filmed. And now, Hillcoat will be taking on McCarthy's most recent novel -- The Road, which Joe Penhall will adapt (as previously reported here).

This could be Hillcoat's break into mainstream, not as much due to the material, but due to the fact that the novel was just picked for Oprah's Book Club. Whoever would have thought that Oprah fans might fall in line to see a Hillcoat movie? The novel is set in a post-apolcalyptic world where a father and son have to travel for months to try and get to what was the Southeast U.S. Unfortunately, the world is over-run by cannibals that they have to protect themselves from, as well as surviving in a world where most life is gone -- both plant and animal, the sun and moon are blotted out and ash covers the earth. Hillcoat is pretty talented at making dusty grime look stunning, so he's a pretty perfect choice to helm the picture. With a spot-on choice for director, I wonder who they will get to play the father and young son. Any suggestions?