10 Cloverfield Lanewound up being a big hit for Paramount this year, so that managed to put directorDan Trachtenbergon other studios' radar. It looks like Lionsgate has scooped him up to take on their long-gestating movie based on magicianHarry Houdini.Johnny Deppwas most recently attached to star whenDean Parisotwas attached to direct, but that has all changed now.
Deadlinebroke the news that the young director is in talks with Lionsgate for this newHoudinimovie, which will be based on the 2006 bookThe Secret Life of Houdiniand will take on the same name. The project, which was first announced back in 2009, has been through several actors and directors in that time period. But now with a script fromNoah Oppenheim, who wroteThe Maze Runneras well as the upcoming Oscar contenderJackie, andDan Trachtenberg, the project could get some real traction. Here is how the book, written byWilliam KalushandLarry Sloman, is described.
“Since his death eighty-eight years ago, Harry Houdini'’s life has been chronicled in books, in film, and on television. Now, in this groundbreaking biography, renownedmagic expertWilliam Kalush and bestselling writer Larry Sloman team up to find the man behind the myth. Drawing from millions of pages of research, they describe in vivid detail the passions that drove Houdini to perform ever-more-dangerous feats, hissecret lifeas a spy, and a pernicious plot to subvert his legacy.”
Lionsgate’s version ofThe Secret Life of Houdiniwill be drawing inspiration from the book, but will be taking some serious liberties. It is described as a heavily fictionalized biography, which will be more akin to something likeIndiana Jones. So those hoping to see a more traditionalbiopicbased onHarry Houdiniwill need to look elsewhere. Perhaps theHoudiniTV mini-series that History Channel did in 2014 starringAdrien Brodywill do the trick.
Dan Trachtenberghad very little directing experience, and no feature directing experience, whenJ.J. Abramsplucked him out of obscurity to direct10 Cloverfield Lane. Originally, the movie was flying under the radar under the name ofThe Cellar, but just a couple of months before the release it was revealed that the movie was actually a follow-up of sorts to the 2008 monster movieCloverfieldThe movie wound up making $108 million worldwide on a relatively small budget and it was also very well received by audiences and critics. Given the success, it seemed inevitable thatDan Trachtenbergwould land a big studio project and it looks like the project will beThe Secret Life of Houdini.
Aside fromDan Trachtenberg, the project also has some top notch producing talent in the form ofFrank MarshallandBruce Cohen. Lionsgate has not set any sort of timeline forThe Houdini movieat the moment as this iteration of it is in the early stages. So there is no word on when the movie will hit theaters or when it will start shooting, assuming it works out this time, but we will be sure to keep you posted as details become available.
