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Ang Lee Helming Adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi

by Alex Billington
February 18, 2009

Not to be confused with Monty Python's Life of Brian, Yann Martel's novel "Life of Pi" is set to be adapted by Taiwanese director Ang Lee. The story follows an Indian boy named Piscine "Pi" Molitor Pate who is the lone survivor of a sunken freighter that winds up sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and a hungry Bengal tiger. So it's kind of like The Jungle Book and Noah's Ark combined, or at least that's my initial perception. The project is being developed at Fox 2000 and while there are older scripts around, including one by M. Night Shyamalan, Lee will find and hire a new writer to adapt.

Fox producer Gil Netter, who has a very sketchy track record with films like Phone Booth, Flicka, Eragon, and Marley & Me to his name, is producing. Ang Lee is currently finishing his Taking Woodstock film, which is slated for release this August from Focus Features. I'm a big fan of Ang Lee and think he's one of the great directors in Hollywood, but this concept is just a little too odd for me to get excited about. I'm wondering if this is inspired by the mainstream success of Slumdog Millionaire? The book has a lot of positive feedback on Amazon, so maybe it's actually a great story. We'll find out soon enough!

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http://firstshowing.net Andy Adair

The book is very very good. I hope the film does it justice, which i am sure it won't.
TF

This is horrible news. Life of Pi is one of my favourite books and I just can't see this as an Ang Lee film. Not all great novels should be made into films...
Mauricio T.

Really sad that Jean-Pierre Jeunet pulled out. That was a match made in heaven i.m.o Hope Netter and lee don't kill this one. It's one of my all time favorite books = ::M::
Shelby

all of the animals die excluding the tiger in the first few chapters while on the boat so the book is mainly about the boy and the tiger
SlashBeast

I hated the novel with an intense passion. However, maybe the film can change my mind. There are some hurdles to overcome though. The bulk of the novel is just Pi alone with a tiger with little contact between the two so it might get a tad boring. Also, i thought it was absolutely disappointing that the religious elements from the first part of the novel were almost entirely abandoned later in the story. The first part of the novel was by far the best for me. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't.
http://movies.iconocritic.com/ peloquin

Thanks for not marking your post with SPOILERS Shelby...
SKD

The book is one of my absolute favourites and although I think Jean-Pierre Jeunet would have been a better fit I am looking forward to see Lee's take on it. He's definitely a capable director so hopefully it turns out as great as the book!