- Sam Raimi Wants to 'Get Back to the Basics' on Spider-Man 4 (111 Comments)
- Must Watch: Teaser Trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street! (109 Comments)
- Must Watch: Intense Trailer for Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness (81 Comments)
- Must Watch: Second Official Trailer for Lee Daniels' Precious (78 Comments)
- Check These Out: High Res New Na'vi Photos from Avatar! (77 Comments)
- Paul Blart Director Steve Carr Hired for the Short Circuit Remake (Oct 27, 2009)
- Hitman's Xavier Gens Set to Direct Action Thriller 'The Fallout' (Oct 27, 2009)
- Bruckheimer & Straczynski Adapting 2K's Shattered Union (Oct 27, 2009)
- Steve Carell on Par for Rick Reilly Golf Comedy 'Missing Links' (Oct 26, 2009)
- Jason Reitman Calls Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim 'Matrix for Love' (Oct 26, 2009)
- Matt Damon & Josh Brolin Joining the Coen Brothers' True Grit (Oct 26, 2009)
- Ricky Gervais to Host the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards (Oct 26, 2009)
- Woody Allen's New Film Titled 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger' (Oct 26, 2009)
| Inglourious Basterds | 10/10 |
| It Might Get Loud | 9/10 |
| Inglourious Basterds | 8.5/10 |
| Star Trek | 9/10 |
| Monsters vs Aliens | 5/10 |
Al Pacino Starring in Adaptation of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink
May 12, 2009
by Alex Billington
How can they adapt a great book like Blink, you ask? Well, screenwriter Stephen Gaghan has found a way, or so we hope. Over at the Risky Biz Blog, they have early details on how it's being dramatized as well as the news that Al Pacino is set to star. The project was initially setup at Universal, but then went indie at William Morris. For those unfamiliar with Blink, the book is Malcolm Gladwell's very popular exploration into how we make snap judgments. "Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye - that actually aren't as simple as they seem."
The script will focus on the relationship between an older man and his twenty-something son that "he was never close to." The father is a financial Wall Street type living in Connecticut, and his son is an "idealistic drifter" who's teaching at a New York school. The two reconnect and must "navigate their new relationship." Apparently the son has the Blink ability - he can size up people and situations on a dime. And the father wants to use that to make them money. Risky Biz calls it "Scent of a Woman with a finance-y twist — colorful, self-involved older guy mentoring younger ingenue for reasons both selfless and selfish."
As mentioned, Al Pacino will play the father, but the role of the son hasn't been cast. I'm sure they'll find some up-and-coming young actor soon enough, especially since this is selling at Cannes right now. As for that story, I like it, it sounds like an interesting idea based off of the concept of Blink. However, I'm worried that we're going to see another lackluster adaptation of an exceptional novel a lot like Fast Food Nation. That was so dramatized, that it wasn't good anymore by the time Richard Linklater was done with it. We'll keep you updated on the progress of this adaptation. And pick up the book if you haven't read it yet.
•  |
Related Articles
- » Al Pacino to Star in Michael Radford's Adaptation of King Lear
- » Al Pacino to Play Napoleon in John Curran's Project?
- » Emile Hirsch and Catherine Hardwicke Taking on Hamlet
- » Keanu Reeves Joins Malcolm Venville's RomCom Henry's Crime
- » Second Full Righteous Kill Trailer - More De Niro and Pacino
- » Must Watch: First Righteous Kill Trailer
Reader Feedback - 5 Comments »
1
Blink is my favorite Sociology book (I actually read a lot of them) and I don't really think it'll be adapted well into a film…it's not a narrative book, it's an informational literary work…it's like trying to make Windows for Dummies into a book, it just won't work. This film is going to be very disappointing…ugh.
Alex, I'm one of the few people who actually prefer Gladwell's Blink to The Tipping Point, which one did you like better?
Homero on May 12, 2009
2
loved the book, although it did leave something to be desired.
hope this is as good
Keith on May 12, 2009
3
This should be an interesting adaptation for sure. I refer to the concepts of Blink all the time since we do live in a "snap judgement" world. Wonder how it will play out — serious, humorous, mysterious? Pacino can make something of it for sure. I like the generational angle as well!
MgbPeregrine on May 13, 2009
4
Seems like a steal for Gladwell. I love the book but it's a case study book, not a story based book. Why would they adapt this book, based on the story you said there is not one thing that exists in the book. I'm not even sure how they can consider this an adaptation, it's just a made up movie.
Craig on May 13, 2009
5
Good call on the Fast Food Nation comparison, Alex. It was completely OVERDONE and too dramatic, a real low-point I think for Linklater and it felt like a high school kid did it. Gaghan's a great writer and a nice guy, I hope he can do this well.
b on May 13, 2009