Remember the visually stunning (but psychologically jarring) 2010 box office hit Shutter Island? You know, it starred Leonardo DiCaprio as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, pairing DiCaprio once again with iconic director Martin Scorsese. Well, word has it that story is now being adapted for TV.
Cable behemoth HBO is teaming up with Paramount Television to turn the box-office winner (it banked a cool $300 million worldwide) into what may just become the network’s next big hit show.
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In the film — which Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis spun from a script written by Mystic River author Dennis Lehane — DiCaprio’s character investigates the alleged disappearance of a woman from a hospital for the criminally insane. The closer he gets to the truth, the further he spirals into darkness.
So, here’s the deal: If you’re hoping DiCaprio will reprise his role, you might be disappointed.
According to Deadline, the series will be a prequel. Tentatively titled Ashecliffe after the hospital central to the story, the show will delve into the world surrounding the hospital founders. Think along the lines of the hospital’s creepy past, the controversial methods of treatment used to subdue mentally ill patients and the dark secrets of the staff.
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So, although there is no official word yet on who’ll be cast, the premise of a prequel pretty much rules DiCaprio out… at least for the first season. Also, um, last we saw him he was on his way to a lobotomy.
Hey, don’t rule it out on that reason alone, though. Even without DiCaprio, this series has a lot going for it. First and foremost, the material is coming from the same source — Dennis Lehane is a brilliant writer. He was apparently tapped by Paramount TV head Amy Powell to build on his original vision in the book as well as the vision set forth in the film adaptation.
Then, of course, you’ve got Scorsese. C’mon, everything the man directs essentially turns to cinematic gold. He’ll be wielding his Midas touch for the series’ pilot episode, and then who knows? If all goes well, perhaps he’ll lend his artistic direction more as the series progresses.
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Excited yet? To ensure you’re adequately amped about this haunting story coming to the small screen, take a quick gander at the movie trailer before you log off.
www.youtube.com/embed/XlSGd3uAjPA?rel=0
Fingers crossed the fantastic (and often grossly underrated) Ben Kingsley lands an equally prominent — and perhaps even leading — role in the new series.
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