Independence Day actor Bill Pullman is set to portray celebrated science fiction author Philip K. Dick in a fictional journey into the sometimes psychedelic author’s mind. In the process, he puts out of work an innocent robot. What’s to become of the Dickbot now?
The movie’s called Panasonic, and so they should have no problem finding a corporate sponsor. Production Weekly says the movie’s being directed by musician Matthew Wilder, known for helming the 1983 movie Break My Stride, but probably better known as the guy who composed the score for Mulan. Panasonic combines hallmarks of Dick’s writing into it’s head-trip. Paranoid conspiracies, drug-addled dimension shifting, and general 1970’s weirdness combine to make what will no doubt be one strange indie film.
Though his writing is sometimes bizarre, Philip K. Dick’s novels have been translated to screen almost more than any other author. It was his work that was the source for the classic Ridley Scott movie Blade Runner, and a few weeks ago Richard Linklater released his film version of the Dick book A Scanner Darkly. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Dick himself, rather than his work, becomes the subject of a feature film.
