Ang Lee pondering the Life Of Pi

He’s looking to direct the Yann Martel adaptation

Feb 18th 2009

Ang Lee just can’t stay away from those beloved books: his latest cinematic target is Yann Martel’s Life Of Pi.

Martel’s coming-of-age-meets-lifeboat-survival tale sees a young man forced to co-exist with a tiger, an injured zebra, a hyena  and an orang-utan when they end up the only survives of a freighter sinking.

The book nabbed the 2002 Booker Prize and was quickly optioned by Fox 2000.

But since then, it’s lingered in development, with both writer Dean Georgaris and M Night Shyamalan (who also wanted to direct) taking a shot at adapting it.

And it has since slipped through the fingers of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who tried to make it work with his Amelie co-scribe, Guillaume Laurent.


Given that Lee has brought triumphant versions of everything from Sense & Sensibility to Brokeback Mountain from page to screen, we have faith in his ability to crack Pi.

While Lust, Caution seemed to lack some of his usual quality, we’re hearing good things about his most recent pic, Taking Woodstock. It remains to be seen if he can make Pi work, but at least he’ll be starting fresh with a new script.

[Source: Variety]

Do you want to see Life Of Pi turned into a movie? And what other books do you want to see adapted?

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Comments

    • mattburgess

      Feb 18th 2009, 12:11

      Sounds like perfect fodder for Pixar (or, far more likely, dreamworks). One human, an a handful of animals shipwrecked on an island? You just KNOW this was meant to be a comedy with wisecracking wildlife! Madagascar 3: Far From The Madagascar Crowd

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    • ashley.russell

      Feb 19th 2009, 12:39

      I'm halfway through reading Life of Pi and it's a great book, it could be completely epic and definitely another 'Oscar film'...hopefully they wont get Dev Patel from Slumdog as Pi though, the kid just aint that good. I'd love to see someone tackle House of Leaves by Mark Daniewleski and I'm waiting for the green light on every Palahniuk book that has been optioned.

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