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Francis Lawrence Adapting The World Without Us for Fox

by Alex Billington
April 2, 2009

Writer Mark Protosevich and director Francis Lawrence (of I Am Legend previously) are teaming up again to bring us yet another look at the future. Fox has acquired rights to "The World Without Us", a non-fiction environmental book by Alan Weisman that Fox will turn into a big budget tentpole feature. The book takes on the idea of life on Earth if humans were suddenly to disappear. It explores how houses would deteriorate, how long and which man-made objects would last, the environmental impact nuclear waste and other pollutants would have left unchecked and how nature would spread over built environments.

The intent is to have Mark Protosevich turn the scientific facts into a story about the event(s) that lead to man's disappearance. You might think of it as a combination of I Am Legend and Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man comic, with a little bit of Roland Emmerich's 2012 thrown in for good measure. Since this was just acquired, I can imagine only very basic ideas for the story have been developed. While this seems a bit odd at first, if you think about it, with Protosevich and Lawrence involved, it's actually a very cool concept. It's at least quite interesting to hear that they're approaching the scientific side of it first before the story.

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Marcus

I missread the title and thought it was 'A world without Fox'. I got quite excited. Yeah this sounds like an interesting project though. One which needs alo of scope considering how much it will be scietifically analysed.
Mindy

I've liked Lawrence ever since Constantine and really looking forward to this film. I love how pure Sci-Fi it sounds.
Ron

This sounds like National Geographic's Aftermath: Population Zero.
John Madden

Channel 4 in the UK did this last year. The production values were second to none, so I don't really see how this is worth the time and money to redo. Just redub the narration if you can't handle the British accent, and you're good to go.
SamIam

Aftermath: Population Zero was oki, but it's really just set in the US and some in europe. This doc is a must to watch if you are planning on writing a post apocalyptic senario, I'm sure there's something you'll have missed/not thought about Link to Aftermath: Population Zero on IMDB, the comment that is up is not valid imo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1264068/
http://movies.iconocritic.com peloquin

So will this project have no actors than? I don't really get how a "world without people" movie would work unless it's all a flashback.
http://www.widescreenwonderland.com Bill Rusnak

If you haven't yet read this book, do it. It certainly drags in spots but the concept is awesome and Weisman does a fantastic job describing what things would be like 'Without Us'. I'm leery of the idea of adaptng this into a 'tent pole'. We'll see. I would be way more excited if they decided to make a big budget documentary.
http://www.dropcards.com/oct8pus Google The Oct8pus

I agree with the documentary idea...
http://rtgmediaphiles.blogspot.com Dan W

YES!* *not at the idea for this movie, but I have been searching for this book for awhile. I first stumbled upon the website for the book then forgot about it. One day i was thinking about the book and that I'd like to read it but totally forgot the name of it. Thanks alex for doing the work for me. as for the movie, I am not interested in this right now.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Sounds awesome, but how will it be a movie?
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I'm also surprised that Fox si taking on another enviromental-themed blockbuster after their flops with THE HAPPENING and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.
Baz

'The Day the Earth Stood Still' did surprisingly well internationally. That happens sometimes like with 'Golden Compass' or 'Troy' or 'Kingdom of Heaven' doing 2 times domestic in foreign markets. It's unusual. Mostly it's even ('Twilight') or the other way around, with a '40 Year Old Virgin' or 'Superbad' huge hit here doing half that in foreign markets.
DoomCanoe

this book is REALLY good if you haven't read, it gives you quite an awesome out look on people and the world. but first. The History Channel made this already its called "The World With Out People" it was pretty good 2. if everyone's been dead for __ amount of years.... who the hell is the main character going to be? or whats the plot?... I'm sorry but there going to have to do ALOT of work to make me go see this story/ to movie adaptation.