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Paul Greengrass Now Eyeing Adaptation of 'The Deep Blue Goodbye'

by Ethan Anderton
April 25, 2011
Source: Deadline

Back in January we learned that director Paul Greengrass (of The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) was planning to direct Memphis, a film chronicling the events leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Since then the project has recently become delayed, likely for another year. Now Deadline reports the filmmaker is looking at an adaptation of John D. MacDonald's novel The Deep Blue Goodbye, the first in a series featuring recurring character Travis McGee, a "salvage exert" who aims to help a woman named Cathy Kerr who has been robbed of everything but her dignity. Read on!

Continuing the plot: McGee is an unlikely hero as a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. But he's also a knight errant who's wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. As a salvage expert, he'll retrieve whatever you've lost for 50 percent of the load. Recently director Oliver Stone was linked to the project (he's since moved on to an adaptation of Savages instead), and Leonardo DiCaprio is producing with an eye towards starring in the film as the start to a potential franchise. After all, there are 21 books featuring McGee in the story, so there's plenty to draw from.

It sounds like this new project might come together before Memphis does for Greengrass, but DiCaprio's schedule could be an issue as he's slated to star in Baz Luhrmann's take on The Great Gatsby after he finishes shooting J. Edgar with Clint Eastwood. Likely the actor will work something out since he's wanted to play the character for awhile, but that may mean Greengrass won't sit in the director's chair after all. The project is still developing, so we'll do our best to keep you guys posted. Sound interesting to anyone?

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