So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

We not only have two more Cormac McCarthy adaptations on the way, but two adaptations of even better books.

First off there's The Road due later this year, a hard, devastating post-apocalyptic story of a father and son struggling to survive under hopeless circumstances in a harsh wasteland. Think a real-world Grave of the Fireflies with only a 10th of the sentimentality and 10 times the horror and poetry (which is saying something, I think). I have tentatively high hopes about this one, it's in production and set to star Viggo Mortensen with lesser roles for Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce among others. John Hillcoat is the director, whose awkward The Proposition was the most inexplicably overrated film of 2005 by my admittedly controversial reckoning, but there was at least enough in that film to suggest he could tackle this kind of scenario visually.

Even more intriguing (and horrifying) is Ridley Scott's intended adaptation of Blood Meridian. Widely considered one of the greatest novels of the last 50 years, Amazon accurately describes it as "a perverse, picaresque Western about bounty hunters for Indian scalps near the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s--a ragged caravan of indiscriminate killers led by an unforgettable human monster called 'The Judge.' Imagine the imagery of Sam Peckinpah and Heironymus Bosch as written by William Faulkner, and you'll have just an inkling of this novel's power." It could potentially be amazing, but as everybody has said when I've given them this news, the damn thing's got to be almost unfilmable.

And man, Ridley Scott. If he's going to do it justice he's going to have to make something as good as Blade Runner, maybe even better. This is just about the most unHollywood story possible in every sense - if even a speck of anything vaguely Gladiator-esque seeps into this movie it'll be a failure unless he vastly deviates from his source. I don't think it's likely to arrive 'til '09 at the earliest, and barely anything is confirmed about it if IMDB is anything to go by, but I can't wait and hope it never comes at the same time.

So... thoughts? Anyone read these?

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

IMDB page 'The Road'

IMDB page 'Blood Meridian'


Both sound very good from the looks of the other pages

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I'm reading The Road right now, throughout the entire book I've been thinking "wow, this would make an excellent movie".

I hope they do it justice! Oh, and Ridley Scott directing a Cormac McCarthy book? AWESOME (hopefully)!

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I'm a massive fan of apocalyptic fiction, and after i've finished what i'm currently reading (Which is very very awesome by the way and I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a slight interest in the genre) The Road is whats next on my list. And now the film is happening, I’m even more interested...

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

Blood Meridian is the only Cormac McCarthy novel I've read. It's a good book, but to be honest I'm probably looking forward to this movie more because Ridley Scott's attached to it than because of the source. Won't try to predict how good/bad it'll be, but I'll give it a chance when/if(?) it eventually comes out.

EDIT: Hey Blob, have you ever read Russel Hoban's Riddley Walker? That one is a good post-apocalypse novel.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

The Road is a fantastic book, and I think Viggo Mortensen will be perfect as the man.

Blood Meridian is one of the most brutal and violent books I've ever read, yet through the grimness the language shines as wonderful and sometimes even exquisite. I wonder how all that rampant horror wreaked by the men in the book is going to come across in a film. If it's just lionised by that section of film goers who revel in violent films then its all in vain.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I seem to recall Ridley Scott explicitly stating the film won't be as violent as the book, although I can't remember where I read that. Can't be a particularly true adaptation if that is the case.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I'd never heard of this, just checked it out, sounds right up my street. Plus it's set where my parents live. This sounds good! Thanks for the heads up Lines :)

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I don't know if anyone has seen this, but some images for The Road:


http://www.quietearth.us/img/t/theoradpic4.JPG

http://www.quietearth.us/img/t/theoradpic2.JPG

http://www.quietearth.us/img/t/theoradpic5.JPG

http://www.quietearth.us/img/t/theroadpic7.JPG

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

wow, thanks for those :) . I'm so looking forward to The Road. The book was such a good read and I was chuffed that Viggo M was chosen for the man

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

Some new articles:

http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainm..._the_road.html

Here's the article to go with those pics:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/08/...thys-the-road/

I finished the book a month ago. I am so looking forward to this.

BTW, I don't think this story is brutal or too dark. As Viggo states, "it's a love story." I think it will make a fine film and I don't see it being that violent, but more a two-character study (course I could be wrong.)

I want to see a trailer!!! NOW!!!!

BTW, I did a search on "The Road" and then got linked by Holden over here, but I think the name of this thread should be "The Road."

Just sayin'.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

Can't WAIT to see this. Although i may need some happy pills shortly afterwards, i can only handle so much bleakness in one sitting and this book offered me up a life time. Incrediblly written though. And yes, TRAILER, where are you?

Also, i second the idea about calling this thread THE ROAD.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I don't know why I want to see this...it's got to be one of the most depressing things I've ever read but god damn I am so stoked! Even without Vigo I'd still be pumped.

Cormac Mcarthy is a god of literature.

Re: So, following the success of "No Country..."
 

I posted over in The Road thread. News is that the film is still being tweaked, that's why there isn't a trailer. But my god, I think that's sorta ridiculous. It's time for a trailer!

I also read where Ridley is out of Blood Meridan. There's a different director listed on imdb.