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Two Different 'Three Musketeers' Films, Two Directors for One

by Alex Billington
February 26, 2010
Source: LA Times

Hollywood is known for competing projects like Deep Impact and Armageddon, but it takes a lot to actually get a movie into production, from directors to writers and a cast. The latest set of dueling projects are both adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' classic story of The Three Musketeers. One of the adaptations is being developed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Death Race) in 3D and was just bought by Summit. The other, in development at Warner Brothers with Sherlock Holmes producer Lionel Wigram working as the frontrunner, is close to attaching one of two directors (according to the LA Times). So which two are they?

One director WB is looking at is David Frankel, who directed a few "Sex and the City" episodes before directing The Devil Wears Prada and Marley & Me. He definitely doesn't seem like the right fit, but I guess they don't have much of a choice. Or do they? The second director they're considering is Doug Liman, who fits this project much better. Liman last directed Jumper as well as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, Go, and Swingers before that. They don't say which one the studio is leaning towards, but if I can put in my $.02, I'd say go with Liman, he has much more action experience and I feel like he'll do a much better job.

As for the "other" Three Musketeers project, the one that Paul W.S. Anderson is making in 3D (if that doesn't make you shudder, I don't know what will), it's still in the scripting stage but is progressing quickly with that sale to Summit. It's an independently financed project, but Summit will be distributing in the US. Deadline says it will be shot in "real 3-D" (not converted in post) in Babelsberg Studios in Germany, and on location in France. They've already set a late summer start but haven't cast anyone yet (since Taylor Lautner passed). The version that Wigram is developing, obviously, will be stylized to look like Sherlock Holmes. I'll be curious to see what happens if Anderson beats WB to the punch. Which version do you want to see?

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

Janny

i liked death race... it wasn't a 'good' movie but i found it fun and entertaining... but the three musketeers needs a story so it can't be like resident evil or death race what was wrong with the disney version? its classic... why not make an orginial movie involving musketeers

Fire_storm

lol, the original musketeers was a classic, the problem nowerdays is that everyone is simply redoing everything that has already been done... take conan for example, you can't beat the original but still there going to remake it, and im sure its going to be crap because the original was presicely that... original.

Xerxex

just do it justice.
Ken

They always butcher Dumas' work anyways. Look at The Count of Monte Cristo, while the 2002 movie was good and I really liked the actors they chose, it was far from accurate. Hell they even made an anime version lol. Still though, the best adaptation of the book is the 1934 version in my opinion.
harm

I know it's not accurate but I'm a fan of The Three Musketeers and the Four Musketeers from the 70's with Cybil Danning.
Scott McHenry

@1 cuz then we'd be bitching about it being a ripoff of three musketeers
http://www.superliminal.wordpress.com N

Richard Lester's versions are awesome, why make new ones... They already tried remaking them in the 90's and that didn't work.
Thor

Hey Alex! David Frankel also directed 2 episodes of the Band of Brothers series (two of my favorite episodes at that). So I believe that he can do a good job with the action if they hire him. So can Liman but his latest movies haven't been that great.
John Van Rijn

The closest in spirit to Dumas' work is the Gene Kelly Three Musketeers, made in the fifties. Emotionally intense and remarkably brave in its willingness to expose the Musketeers inner souls, it is also one of the finest piece of swashbuckling action that Hollywood has ever produced. Beautifully filmed, its quest for fame, honour and bravery will leave you with a smile. The script is always important in Musketeers movies. If the script is good, my money is on Liman.
h repeats

ugh another 3 musketeers film? why? not any original scripts being sent to hollywood nowadays?
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds

What about the Stephen Herek-directed 1993 film version?
Maysan

I to hope for a original script and not only a remake of the earlier films and that they can cast the right actors. t.ex Kyle Schmid as d'Artagnan, Johnny Depp too as one of the other musketeers... http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=112882352069302#!/group.php?gid=112882352069302&v=info
Nandu

Maysan, I absolutely agree with you - Kyle Schmid is an awesome actor and has definitely the skills to play d'Artagnan! I think Kyle, Viggo Mortensen, Johnny Depp and Gerard Butler would make great musketeers!