Marching Powder the film

[jizzybloke]

I was looking for something else earlier and saw that they are making this book into a film, i really enjoyed the book and wonder how the Merkins will go about transforming it on to the big screen?


Marching Powder (2010) Movie

Don Cheadle's 'Marching Powder' Marches Forward - Cinematical

At the rate Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha (Tropa de Elite) is becoming attached to projects, I might need to start another annex called Cinematical Padilha. Earlier this week, I posted info about his latest documentary, Garapa, and prior to that I had written about his transfer to Hollywood for a South America-set action movie formerly (and maybe again?) called A Willing Patriot. Of course, I don't mind writing so much about the guy; Padilha is one of the most exciting new talents, and it's cool to see his career exploding.

Today's Padilha news is that he'll be writing and directing the based-on-a-true-story drama Marching Powder. Again, this one's set in South America (good to see a foreign filmmaker making such a gradual move to Hollywood), and if it sounds familiar, that's because we've seen Don Cheadle linked to it for awhile. The Oscar-nominated actor will reportedly still produce (along with Brad Pitt and others) and star as a British drug dealer serving time in a Bolivian prison, of which he eventually gives illegal tours to travelers (he became popular enough to be featured in Lonely Planet guides).

The movie will be based on the book "Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine and South America's Strangest Jail" by Thomas McFadden (the British drug dealer) and Rusty Young, who apparently found the story by signing on for one of the prison tours.

[Marmite the Dog]

wonder how the Merkins will go about transforming it on to the big screen?

They'll fuck it up like they do with any good story, of course.

[jizzybloke]

I hope Don Cheadle does a better accent than he put on in Oceans 11!

[The Muffinman]

wonder how the Merkins will go about transforming it on to the big screen?

They'll fuck it up like they do with any good story, of course.

Of course they will, just a question of how badly.
What makes filming a story like this even harder (or near impossible) is the number of years Thomas spent inside. How can they realisticly fit his story into a 2 hour flick?
Papillon is the prime example of how to fuck up a cracking novel.

Marching Powder is a great book though and I'll have to read it again soon.