I made a morbid joke about it at the time on the forums. I actually remember it. There was some discussion going on about how any old true-life story will be bought up by a Hollywood and turned into a movie regardless of taste or content. I remember saying words along the lines of, "How long before this gets bought up and turned into some cheap drama/thriller."
I guess the answer was three years. As it turns out there's two project in the making on the same subject. Daniel Pearl's murder at the hands of terrorist believed to be linked to Al-Quaeda.
Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai) and Beacon Pictures are teaming up to adapt french author Bernard-Henry Levy's novel Who Killed Daniel Pearl, which recounts Levy's journey to Pakistan to try and unravel exactly who and what was behind the kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal correspondent.
To keep everything Hollywood friendly of course, Levy's character will be Americanized (No word yet on whether he will be Will Smithized) so that the good old deep county folks have a home hero to root for, and certain parts of the story will be fictionalized.
This is because of the "other" Daniel Pearl movie, which is currently being developed by Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's production company, Plan B. It will be based on Mr Pearl's wife's book A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death Of My Husband Danny Pearl. She originally refused to allow an adaptation but obviously, as is probably the way, never let principles stand in the way of a big enough pay check.
[[ br. a about affected an and article brad but by either even gets goes hardly has how is journalist kidnapped mainly most movie murdered. no non-eventful nondescript of on po-faced project recent riviting see split standards. ]]
Now I have every sympathy with those involved over the horrible fate that came of Mr Pearl and wouldn't wish it on anyone. But the question has to be asked, why are these movies being made. What is the real motivation behind them. Are they trying to honor a man who suffered no more a tragic fate than the other dozens of innocents who have been executed in full public view in Iraq in the last year? Not really. Does his life story have some deep insight into global events in it that might lead us all to reflect on the world's situation. Not that I can see. Is it just another case of Hollywood cashing in on an emotionally manipulative and exploitative story that they can try and pass off as some joe-off-the streets-was-a-hero tale? More than likely.
It all makes me a little nauseaus. What personal tragedy will be the next cheap exploitation tool of the Hollywood machine? Stay tuned for details. If I'm wrong, let me know why.
