Two Important Literary Adaptations

While Hollywood wakes up to news that stories about dead people are totally in (Jesus, zombies that run fast) with the American public, it's just an affirmation that movies based on books or earlier films are good bets. Since it's only a matter of time before Speed is remade, Gothamist will look at news of two notable literary figures in movie news today. First, David Cronenberg will direct an adaptation of Martin Amis's London Fields. Amis, whose unsuccessful past year was noted in the Times, co-wrote the screenplay with Roberta Hanley, who, besides, writing and directing Woundings, had a small part in Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, which is based on the wonderful Jeffrey Eugenides book.

It also seems like Clifford the Big Red Dog (who does not know the Yellow Dog, we don't think) will be headed to the big screen. His film, Cifford's Really Big Movie, though, was originally a straight-to-video concept that has been doing well in some test markets. But playing well in a few markets may not be enough for the studio to fork over the ridiculous amount of money it takes to market movies these days. Yes, people, movie studios are spending $15-20 million to market Twisted, that bloated, waste of money and talent, and you're psyched when you find a coupon for Starbucks.

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