“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.
Alex Proyas to Adapt Heinlein’s “Jonathan Hoag”
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.
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