Zwick To Helm Al-Rassan

[kechara420]

From SCI FI Wire:

Warner Brothers has attached Ed Zwick to direct the fantasy historical epic film "The Lions of Al-Rassan," an adaptation of Guy Gavriel Kay's novel about the collision of religions in Spain during the Middle Ages that melds fact and fantasy, Variety reported.

Vera Blasi (Woman on Top) will write the script based on the book, a historical fantasy set at the beginning of the Christian re-conquest of Moorish Spain. A triangle forms between two warrior princes and a female doctor in the fictional locale of Al-Rassan. The author veils the faiths and introduces magical elements into the historical framework, the trade paper reported.

I'm so excited!! GGK is one of my absolute favorite authors, and this is the first I've heard about this. Of course, The Lions of Al-Rassan isn't my favorite book by him, but it was still very good.

Does anyone have any other info, comments, etc.?

[Kurt_eh]

I sat at a Kay reading in TORCON about a year ago.

Amazing author. If Al-Rassan has been optioned, it's (hopefully) only a matter of time before Tigana and Arbonne...

[kechara420]

I would LOVE to see both Tigana and Arbonne optioned!!

In a way, I'm glad they started with Al-Rassan. If the script is bad, at least they're butchering one of my least-favorite of Kay's works.

Have you read The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy? It's the first think of Kay's that I read, and I love it the best. Far too complicated and long to make into a decent movie, but boy I wish someone would turn it into a 10-hour mini like Taken!

[kechara420]

Direct from Kay's website, brightweavings.com ...


Zwick Feeds the Lions

This press release was just issued today (January 20th 2005), first appearing in Variety Magazine. More details will be forthcoming in the next few days.

Warner Bros. has attached Ed Zwick to direct period epic "The Lions of Al-Rassan," an adaptation of a Guy Gavriel Kay novel about the collision of religions in Spain during the Middle Ages that melds fact and fantasy.

WB acquired the book. Bull's Eye Entertainment's Cathy Schulman will produce with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Bedford Falls' Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz and Rick Solomon. Bull's Eye partner Bob Yari is also involved in a producing role.

Vera Blasi ("Woman on Top") will write the script.

The book is a historical fantasy set at the beginning of the Christian re-conquest of Moorish Spain. A triangle forms between two warrior princes and a female doctor in the fictional locale of Al-Rassan.

There are allusions to the Crusades-era religious clashes between Jewish, Catholic and Muslim factions. But the author veils the faiths and introduces magical elements into the historical framework.

After sticking to a historical track on "The Last Samurai," Zwick found Kay's literary device irresistible. "He has done something remarkable in imagining a very compelling world, which has some basis in history, and yet departs in a way that adds a kind of magical realism," Zwick said. "That is a blend I've never seen before and feels like a different way to approach an epic story."

Zwick said he will likely get back behind the camera on a project this year, while "The Lions of Al-Rassan" is being written.

Blasi, who also scripted "Tortilla Soup," has written historical biopics of Pontius Pilate and Galileo that haven't been made. WB exec Courtenay Valenti will steer the project, and Donald Zuckerman and Eduardo Rossof will be co-producers.

[Kurt_eh]

Tapestry would make an amazing mini!

[kechara420]

Wouldn't it?!?

I've read so many books that I would love to see made into movies or minis. Unfortunately, whenever a book is adapted for the screen, a lot has to be left out. Still, most of the books I've read would make better movies than a lot of the crap studios are churning out these days.