The films of Tim Burton have a visual impact of which other directors can only dream. Now he and Josh Brolin are working on a film that could be the perfect example – ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame.’
Warner Brothers are in the early stages of development on the film, which Tim would direct. Josh would be both the star and a producer, and the script is being crafted by Kieran and Michele Mulroney who wrote the Sherlock Holmes sequel ‘A Game of Shadows’ for the same studio.
But the story is perfect for Tim – Published in 1831 it’s about Quasimodo, a deformed bell-ringer at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He meets a poor gypsy girl, Esmerelda and their bond brings them nothing but pain. There’s love, betrayal, legions of soldiers, a hanging and more bodies and graves than even Tim could conceive. It’s a classic!
And Tim may be the only director who could find a new way to tell a story this famous. First made as a film in 1905 it’s been produced eleven times for the big screen, three times for TV, twice as a play and ten times as a musical…So it needs a fresh mind.
The snag so far is commitments – Josh is in charge of the project and he’s firmly on board. But Tim is in preproduction on ‘Dark Shadows’ with Johnny Depp and won’t commit until he sees a script. So the whole thing could still fall apart.
But can 43-year old Josh really play another deformed hero? He starred as Jonah Hex for Warners last year and that was a critical and box-office bomb, so history does not suggest good times in Paris.
Tim’s gift for visuals could make this the most original telling of the story in years. But Josh as a hunchback might not appeal to his fans. The movie is not even in casting but give us your views – would you go and see it?…
source -[HMG Celebrity News] –