Few film projects in recent years have come with as formidable a chain of prospective directors attached than Fox 2000’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s bestselling 2002 Booker Prize winner “Life of Pi.”
First M. Night Shyamalan was on board — which, admittedly, might have been a more appealing prospect five years ago. The next name attached was a considerable step up: “Amelie” helmer Jean-Pierre Jeunet would have been a pretty natural fit for Martel’s brand of surreal whimsy. I seem to recall Alfonso Cuaron being mentioned in connection with the project at one point too. Like I said, an impressive roster.
In the end, however, it looks like Ang Lee will ultimately accept the challenge, and I do mean ‘challenge.’ For those of you unfamiliar with the novel, it’s an allegorical fantasy about a shipwrecked Indian boy who survives by sharing a raft with a Bengal tiger, among other wild animals. It’s a tricky film premise to say the least, but Lee has proved time and again that he knows his way around delicate, potentially uncinematic literary source material. I think his visual grace and lightness of touch is just what is required here. Smart choice.
I do love how busy Lee is keeping himself, compared to many other auteurs of his calibre. “Lust, Caution” is a fresh, searing memory still, and it was only a few months ago that we heard he was beginning work on “Taking Woodstock,” an ensemble piece centred around the eponymous music festival. With that film already wrapped and due for release in August (perhaps a title set for discussion in our upcoming 2009 Oscar preview), Lee is ready to move on, with yet another wholly different proposition for his filmography. Good on him.
Comments
11 responses to “Ang Lee takes on ‘Pi’”
Excellent choice. I’m looking forward to how he adapts this story.
is anyone else thinking Dev Patel will be offered the titled role with his recent climb to fame?
Completely unrelated to this or movies: What about that chimp attack?? Scary, no?
Anyway, this movie might be interesting.
I don’t know if Patel would play our beloved Piscine, but I think Slumdog’s success certainly is getting this film off the ground.
Aziz Ansari.
Please, not Patel.
I would have loved to have seen Alfonso Cuaron give it a shot, but I’d take Ang Lee over M. Nighy anyday.
I think the project will definitely be green-lit coz Slumdog’s big now and anything remotely Indian might be all the rage. Patel would automatically be in contention for the starring role I think.
But I’m still not convinced the film can entirely work. Almost 65% of the novel is the boy in a boat with a tiger and the whole wide sea to surround them, no dialogue at all, no change of location.
But isn’t Dev Patel too old? I haven’t read the book but from hearing about it I have always thought taht Pi was a boy and not a young man.
Anyway it’s really interesting if they finally get this one made.
Patel is too old as he is 18 (soon to be 19) and Piscine is 16 in the novel. By the time this film finally begins filming Patel would be atleast 3/4 years too old to play Piscine- and to be honest I don’t think Patel has the acting chops to keep the audience interested in a film that would be completely silent for the most part. Patel is no Wall e!
I would’ve loved to see Terrence Malick take a stab at this. Although it might be too surreal for him.
Um…Hello? Aziz Ansari as Pi foo.