Caffeinated Clint
Aussie director Robert Connolly (who, just last week, we announced will be helming a feature adaptation of “The Riders”, based on Tim Winton’s novel, and to star Sam Worthington) will direct a feature adaptation of “The Shipkiller” – Justin Scott’s revenge thriller novel.
Big-time movie-making madam Gale Anne Hurd (“The Terminator”, “Alien Nation”) is producing the epic, with Aussie outfit Valhalla Entertainment.
The movie, likely the biggest thing Connolly’s tackled outside of the catering budget on “Balibo”, is “an odyssey of revenge that embraces the distant waters of the world, from the titanic storms of the South Atlantic to the oil-slicked reaches of the Persian Gulf.”
With Connolly’s links to Worthington, don’t be surprised if the “Avatar” star gets a look-in. But that’s just me playing captain speculation.
“This is an extraordinary novel that was almost made in 1979 with Sean Connery and David Niven, and I am ecstatic to be working with the remarkably talented Gale Anne Hurd to finally bring this brilliant novel and tale to life,” said Connolly. “Ever since seeing Phillip Noyce’s terrific Dead Calm, I had wanted to find the perfect thriller at sea and this is surely it.”
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be producing this film with one of Australia’s most talented directors, Robert Connolly,” said Hurd. “He has demonstrated his incredible dramatic range with such compelling films as Balibo and now with Underground. I’m confident Robert will make a truly powerful film from Justin Scott’s remarkable novel.”
Connolly is stumping his Julian Assange flick “Underground” in Toronto at the moment. It’s supposed to be shit hot.
