Leonard hartman Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Universal Majoring in 'Dragonology'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Universal », Scripts », Family Films », Newsstand »
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal has snagged the rights to The Dragonology Handbook. It purports to be a nonfiction guide to the mythical beasts, penned by Victorian researcher Dr. Ernest Drake. You've probably seen this book (or one of its relatives like Pirateology or Egyptology) on the bargain rack of your local Barnes and Noble. They are quite lovely to look at, but they are like a coffee table book for children. Pretty to look at, vaguely educational when discussing Greek myths, but not exactly storytime material. When there are so many children's books that tell great stories, it's downright disheartening to see what Hollywood picks up to spin into a tale for the kiddie set.
Universal Picks Up Action Flick 'Fury'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Deals », Universal », Scripts »
We've seen plenty of sports figures go on to make movies (like The Rock in this week's new release The Game Plan), but how often do they become screenwriters rather than actors? That is what happened to former Ohio State center Leonard Hartman. And the guy is really getting a number of breaks, in all sorts of genres. So far his only credit listed on the IMDb is a short called Gray Matter, but he's got a ton of projects in the pipeline. As we told you earlier in the year, he's adapting a Depression-era circus-set drama titled Water for Elephants and he wrote the spec script which became the upcoming Goosebumps movie. He also previously wrote a spec about the Homestead Act, which was to be made by the late Alan J. Pakula, and pitched another period piece idea that will be produced by screenwriter Gary Ross (Seabiscuit). Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Hartman has another spec script called Fury, which was just bought by Universal (also home to Goosebumps and the Ross pic).Like most projects announced in the trades, there's not much revealed in THR about the plot of Fury. But it is probably good to assume that it isn't a comic adaptation about Nick Fury, nor remake of Fritz Lang's classic (sorry if the photo is misleading, there wasn't anything better to use here). All that is known is that it's an action thriller about a group of special forces, and it has a bit of the ol' supernatural in it. Hopefully it will be about some kind of special forces team with supernatural powers -- you know, like basically a team of superheroes. The movie will be produced by Scott Stuber and Mary Parent, who are best known for You, Me and Dupree and The Kingdom, two very different films, and neither of which is like a comic-book-type actioner. I'm sure we'll find out more about Fury in the coming months or year, so stay tuned.
Circus Novel 'Water for Elephants' Optioned by Bourne Producer
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Scripts »
It's time for our next Depression-era drama about entertainers on the road. First there was Carnivàle, which dealt with heaven, hell and carnivals, with dusty healers and creepy preachers. Now a paperback that has been growing in popularity, Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, has been picked up for an adaptation. Andrew R. Tennenbaum, who worked with Doug Liman to bring The Bourne Identity to the screen, used his own money for the option. Considering the fact that he spotted the cinema gem in Bourne, and feels strong enough about this project to use his own money, I imagine this could be a pretty funky project. Depressing, but funky.See, Elephants is about the life of Jacob Jankowski -- a man who spent most of his life in the circus. The book is told from him in his nineties, rotting away in a nursing home. When he was 21, and about to take exams at Cornell to become a vet, his parents died in a car crash. When he finds out that they were broke, and that they mortgaged everything to pay for his tuition, he can't complete his tests and runs off to join a crappy, second-string circus. Far from a life of glitter and wonder, he deals with abused animals, a circus leader with a penchant for violence and other craziness. And, just to make life more difficult, Jankowski falls for the wife of the circus' crazy animal trainer. Interestingly enough, the script will be written by Leonard Hartman, whose last project was the upcoming Goosebumps -- you know, the R. L. Stine creepy children's book. While there is no word yet on a director or cast, since it's just in the baby stages, I wonder if it'll give us out next chance for more Michael J. Anderson.
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