There is no shortage of book adaptations when it comes to Hollywood; Stephen King has practically had his entire library adapted in some form or another. The latest adaptation should sound familiar to most of us, though. The classic 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo is coming back to the big screen, but with a twist on the material. According to a new report, the film will take place in the modern day as opposed to 19th century France.
Very little is known about the film, other than it will take place in the criminal underworld, per Deadline. William Eubank is set to direct and the script is being written by Joe Pokaski. Eubank is perhaps best known for directing the sci-fi thriller Signal, while Pokaski’s work includes several episodes of Underground, Heroes and two episodes of Daredevil.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, who wrote other classics such as The Three Musketeers. The novel is arguably the revenge story, and follows Edmond Dantes, a first mate who is wrongfully imprisoned on the day of his wedding. With the help of his fellow inmate, Dantes figures out who set him up, escapes, acquires a fortune and returns to Paris under the alias of the Count of Monte Cristo. He then exacts vengeance against the men who wronged him, but his revenge is not without damage to the innocent.
The novel has been adapted over a dozen times, dating all the way back to 1934. The most recent film people may remember was back in 2002 and starred Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. Here’s the trailer for that movie to give you an idea of what the story is like. Be warned, though, for there is a voice over, fast cuts and a bad pun.
So, picture that, but in Los Angeles or another contemporary setting. It’s tough to tell exactly how much of the original book will carry over to the film, but it’s likely that the skeleton of the story will remain intact. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that there will be swords or treasure hunts. I’m sure faithfuls to the book will argue that the story needs to take place in its historical setting, but films have been telling the Monte Cristo revenge stories for years, whether consciously or not. It could work in a modern day as long as they don’t muddle the basic story. This adaptation will most likely be competing with another being made by David S. Goyer. That version is said to take a graphic novel approach to the material - think Batman in the 19th century.
What do you think? If you’ve read the book, sound off with your opinion. Even if you haven't, let us know if this sounds like an appealing blockbuster to you.
