Alex Proyas to Adapt Heinlein’s “Jonathan Hoag”

By Allan Ford | Aug 21, 2008 | Movie News (0) Comment

Filmmaker Alex Proyas has signed to write and direct an adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi novella “The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag” for Phoenix Pictures.

The story centers on a man named Hoag who becomes increasingly disturbed when he realizes he cannot account for his activities during the day or even what he does for a living. He explains his problem to a private detective agency and their investigation leads to a series of revelations they could never have fathomed. Sounds an awful lot like “Dark City”, which was Proyas’ own creation from 1998, and a huge cult sci-fi hit itself. The film is described as a complex psychological thriller with plenty of action and is expected to start production in 2010.

The novella has been one of Proyas’ favorites since childhood.

“I read this story as a kid, and it really stayed with me. It’s part of my creative DNA.”

Phoenix co-president of production Fischer described the project as “cool and original,” and pointed out that Heinlein, who wrote about 30 novels and twice as many short stories, still is a pre-eminent icon of sci-fi literature 20 years after his death. His “Starship Troopers” was made into a 1997 movie that grossed $120 million worldwide and “Stranger in a Strange Land” became a counterculture classic tome in the ’60s.

Proyas’s next movie, the Nicolas Cage vehicle “Knowing“, will debut in early 2009.