So why is this a big deal, you may ask. Thousands of scripts get written every day, right? Well, Cormac McCarthy is a special case. Not only is he a Pullitzer winning author, but two of his most famous books have also recently been adapted for the screen to critical acclaim: No Country For Old Men and The Road. No Country eventually netted the Coen Bros 4 Oscars including one for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Now according to Deadline, the 79 year old author has decided to try his own hand in the movie business, by turning in a screenplay titled The Counsellor.
The script deals with a respected lawyer who decides to try to make it in the local drug business, thinking that he can escape the seedy world any time he wants, only to find himself in a desperate and drastic situation.
McCarthy actually surprised his literary agents by turning in the script, as they had merely been expecting an update on his next book. Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz – the producers behind the film adaptation of The Road – realizing that they had gold in their hands, immediately purchased the films rights in a significant deal with the scribe. They will now be shopping the script around to prospective film studios, but I don’t think it will be very long before somebody takes an interest.
Speaking to Deadline, Wechsler said:
“The spec falls smack in the middle of what everyone responds to with Cormac’s novels.”
With his producing partner Steve Schwartz adding:
“Since McCarthy himself wrote the script, we get his own muscular prose directly, with its sexual obsessions. It’s a masculine world into which, unusually, two women intrude to play leading roles. McCarthy’s wit and humor in the dialogue make the nightmare even scarier. This may be one of McCarthy’s most disturbing and powerful works.”
Having been a fan of McCarthy’s literary works as well his film adaptations, this certainly interests me immensely. We’ll bring you more on this, as soon as we know it.
Last Updated: January 18, 2012
Justin Hess
January 19, 2012 at 09:53
Oh hell yeah. One of my fave writers doing a script. Sounds up my alley
Kervyn Cloete
January 19, 2012 at 12:16
I was wondering when you would reply to this.
Justin Hess
January 19, 2012 at 13:22
Just saw it here today oddly, though I’d seen it somewhere else before.
Hopefully they get a director with an appreciation for language and nuance attached.
Given McCarthy’s reputation as a writer, it’s pretty likely that he’s written something of some value, and you don’t want some hamfisted moron who’ll just screw up a good property.
Kervyn Cloete
January 19, 2012 at 15:51
So Michael Bay doesn’t get your nod of approval then?
Justin Hess
January 20, 2012 at 09:24
Only if McCarthy wrote a script about good explosions fighting evil explosions by exploding each other while it explores the dilemmas that come with being in a world where people don’t like explosions
I doubt it, though
Kervyn Cloete
January 20, 2012 at 10:42
Bwah ha ha ha! Comment of the month!