We need some more Chuck Palahniuk film adaptations.

[Sigur Rós]

Palahniuk Films In Development
Survivor

April 2005 Update: Francis Lawrence seems no longer intent on making Survivor his next movie. He most recently announced that he will direct an adaptation of Philip Ardagh's children's fantasy novel "A House Called Awful End". Read more at Dark Horizons here.

Chuck Palahniuk's second novel Survivor has long since been sitting in the halls of movie production limbo. Soon after Fight Club became a runaway cult hit, talk began of turning Survivor into a movie with such talent mentioned as Jerry Bruckheimer producing; starring names such as Jim Carrey, Kevin Spacey, and Madonna; even Trent Reznor of NIN tossed his hat into the circle and offered to score the entire film. The first tangible lead to take though was a screenplay by Jake Paltrow (Gwyneth's little brother). With a draft that convinced the heads at 20th Century Fox, Paltrow set into motion to move the project forward. Things looked good and ready to take off. And then two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center.

In the wake of 9/11, something happened behind the scenes of the book industry and Hollywood, and suddenly anything with transgressive themes found a dusty shelf. Survivor, a book with the running storyline of a person hijacking and crashing a 747 into the Australian outback just didn't sit right in this new, post-terrorist climate our society was living in. For years, Chuck would find himself answering a common question at almost every public reading he did: "What's the status of the Survivor movie?"

Well, Chuck is finally able to answer that question. At his recent appearance at the Chicago Book Fair, Chuck said that the Survivor movie now will be made into a film! It sounds like the Jake Paltrow screenplay is out, since he said the team behind the upcoming film Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves, want Survivor to be their next project. Chuck has already signed the contract sent his way and the screenplay is being adapted as you read this. Who knows though how long it will be until actual filming begins. And don't forget, these things have a way of dying before they even get to the next phase. So don't hold your breath until the film officially gets a greenlight.

source: chuckpalahniuk.net

[Pubrick]

April 2005 Update:
upcoming film Constantine

sumthing's not right there..

[meatball]

the team behind the upcoming film Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves, want Survivor to be their next project. Chuck has already signed the contract sent his way and the screenplay is being adapted as you read this.

So Francis Lawrence and his crew? Does this include Keanu Reeves?

[Sleuth]

this includes Keanu Reeves

[meatball]

this includes Keanu Reeves

No wonder they call you Sleuth. Good job.

[Sleuth]

that's why they call me Sleuth

[Sigur Rós]

this includes Keanu Reeves

the crew of Constantine + Keanu + Palahniuk....but that would make it the best movie of all time!  

[MacGuffin]

Trade Breaks: Choke
Source: Dark Horizons

"Universal Pictures has apparently acquired film rights to Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Choke" with Paul Bernbaum ("Hollywoodland") tapped to write. The novel concerns Victor Mancini, a young man who scams people by, literally, choking in restaurants in order to keep his mother in St. Anthony's Care Center while he goes to sexaholic meetings to get some action & tries at the same time lusts after his mom's nurse".

[gob]

Just read Choke and thought if done right could be a good movie.
Hollywoodland has pretty good buzz going so Paul Bernbaum may be a good choice.

Palahniuk is a great writer and his style is obviously integral to that but Fight Club is a perfect adaptation of his work, maintaining a similarity of tone as well as keeping and changing just enough of it for it to work.

I think that Survivor would make a brilliant film but it better not get made by the guys that did Constantine (a decidedly underwhelming movie) it deserves better.

[children with angels]

Has anyone read Haunted? I'm about half way through it and I'm tempted to drop it - it's just not grabbing me... I love the idea - a sort of postmodern take on those Haunted Mansion ghost story type books/movies, but the delivery just does nothing for me. I've only read Fight Club and Choke of Pahaniuk's other stuff, but of which I kind of liked, but the thing about his style that really annoys me is the way he smugly loves to give you all this 'priveledged' insider information on these worlds and subcultures like he's educating you; it just happens ad nauseum. And with Haunted, with all the stories within stories, it's like he's just using this format to do that a hundred times over with no larger project other than a pervading nihilism that never finally convinces. Is it heading towards something fuller and more satisfying, or should I just give up?

[polkablues]

Is it heading towards something fuller and more satisfying, or should I just give up?

You might be better off just reading the short stories themselves and skipping past the whole framing story, which leads to nothing and nowhere.  But there are some genuinely great short stories scattered throughout, especially "Foot Work", "Swan Song", "Ritual", "The Nightmare Box", and "Obsolete".

[MacGuffin]

Levy brings 'Haunted' to New School
Lit agent launches production company
Source: Variety

Former ICM lit agent Brian Levy has launched a management and production company, New School Media.

Levy's first move under the new banner is optioning the rights to Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Haunted."

Koen Mortier will adapt and direct.

"Haunted" revolves around a group of characters who answer an ad for a writers retreat and unwittingly end up competing in a "Survivor"-like scenario, where the host withholds heat, power and food. As the storytellers grow more desperate they ruthlessly plot to make themselves the hero of the reality show or film that they expect will be made from their plight.

Palahniuk, author of nine novels, is popular with Hollywood filmmakers. His books "Fight Club" and "Choke" have been made into films, while "Invisible Monsters" and "Survivor" are in development.

Mortier, who also works as a commercial director, made his directorial debut with "Ex-Drummer," which premiered at last year's Toronto Film Festival.

Levy's client list includes Mortier and Andrew Lau, whose "Infernal Affairs" served as the basis for Martin Scorsese's "The Departed."

Additionally, New School Media has also inked a first-look deal with ArtFire Films ("George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead").

[nix]

This book brought my Palahniuk fandom to a screeching halt. Forced myself to read the first 100 pages, then promptly forgot them (except for "guts" of course).

[john]

This book brought my Palahniuk fandom to a screeching halt. Forced myself to read the first 100 pages, then promptly forgot them (except for "guts" of course).

My sentiments exactly. I tried to return with Rant, but the  Palahniuk sparkle had worn off. Haven't bothered with the most recent


Bring on a Survivor adaptation already. And make sure it's good.

Still his best novel.

[MacGuffin]

This book brought my Palahniuk fandom to a screeching halt. Forced myself to read the first 100 pages, then promptly forgot them (except for "guts" of course).

My sentiments exactly. I tried to return with Rant, but the  Palahniuk sparkle had worn off. Haven't bothered with the most recent


Bring on a Survivor adaptation already. And make sure it's good.

Still his best novel.

Except that Invisible Monsters is. Or Diary.


His last three novels haven't been up to snuff (pun intended). I wish he would drop the multiple POV structure and get back to a regular narative.