Screen Junkies » Houdini

Columbia Hires Scott Frank To Make ‘Houdini’ Appear

Penn Collins — Tue, 24 May 2011 23:37:59 +0000

Like Snow White, there seem to be approximately 912 dozen Harry Houdini pics on the horizon, of varying levels of veracity and supernatural-ness. Somewhat surprisingly, the most biographical one, titled simply Houdini, seems to be the one getting the most traction, having already signed on a director in Francis Lawrence, and now in talks with screenwriter Scott Frank to pen the script.

The film would follow Houdini as he tries to reveal a spiritual woman as a fraud, only to get sucked in by her mystique, eventually falling for her charms and possibly getting conned. Frank has cut his teeth on Minority Report and Out of Sight earlier, so he’s proven adept at adapting, if not creating original work. Again, the script hasn’t been written yet, but Frank’s previous work includes Marley & Me, so let’s not hold our breaths for a happy ending. (THR)

Harry Houdini Is The New Julian Assange

Wookie Johnson — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:44:24 +0000

Despite being dead for 85 years and the fact that nobody really cares about magicians, Harry Houdini is now the subject of a third film currently in development.

Francis Lawrence is at the helm of a period biopic about the late wizard for Sony. Wait. He’s not a superhero and he doesn’t have a wise-cracking buddy? Booooooring.

I will say that all of these projects could be good news for Robin Williams. Look at that newspaper illustration. Dude, is straight up Mork! Of course, should they not consider Williams for the role that would be a pretty big insult. If he gets sad and climbs up into that tree house that the Jack production designer let him keep, it may be weeks before we get him to come down. (Variety)

Houdini Superhero Project Mysteriously Reappears

Wookie Johnson — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:23:26 +0000

Harry Houdini is joining the ranks of Sherlock Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe, and Leonardo Da Vinci. That’s right. He’s the latest historical figure to inexplicably get the action hero makeover.

While Dreamworks already has a Houdini/Sir Arthur Conan Doyle buddy flick in the works, Fox has hired Noah Oppenheimer to adapt The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making Of America’s First Superhero. So suck on that, Captain America.

The story purports that Houdini was actually a spy who worked with police organizations. At least he’s no fighting zombies. That we’re aware of. The full-on action film is being compared to Indiana Jones and will likely be rushed through production to beat Dreamworks out of the gate. I wish that I could be around a hundred years from now to watch a movie about David Blaine’s secret double-life as the anti-terror specialist that captures Osama Bin Laden. (THR)

Dreamworks Buys Houdini/Conan Doyle Buddy Pic, Because Why Not?

Dave Horwitz — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:35:51 +0000

Dust off your dad’s encylopedias and search for some cool tidbits, aspiring screenwriters, because Hollywood’s buying weird historical-ish movies these days. DreamWorks just bought an original script called Voices From the Dead by J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling). It’s all about the real life friendship of illusionist Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

While the two were actually friends, they never teamed up with a psychic to solve murders in 1920s New York. Nope, they just wrote mystery novels and escaped from things. And yet, that’s what this movie is going to be about. Nothing ever stopped Hollywood from sexy-ing up true/old timey stories! With any luck, this will feature even more gadgets and fast/slow motion sequences than Guy Ritchie‘s Sherlock Holmes, or David Fincher‘s upcoming smash hit Gutenberg, about the life of Johann Gutenberg. He invented the movable type printing press… AND HE ALSO FOUGHT MONSTERS WITH A BIKINI BABE. (Hollywood Reporter)