Peter O'Toole's staying in The Christmas Cottage

A film based on a painting. No, honestly...

That sound you’re hearing is Hollywood again scraping the bottom of the creative barrel.

Because the latest bright idea for a film boasts a concept and script based on a painting. Admittedly, it’s not just any painting (though we’d pay to see Dogs Playing Poker directed by Doug Liman), it’s an iconic American image daubed by Thomas Kinkade known as The Christmas Cottage.

The painting, unsurprisingly, features a wintry cottage but the film will expand a little further on the idea, adding in semi-biographical elements that help explain how Kinkade came to paint sloshing.

And despite the seemingly thin basis, it’s already drawing a cast – Peter O’Toole has climbed aboard, agreeing to play painter Glen Weissler, a character apparently based on one of Kinkade’s mentors.

Michael Campus is directing, with a shoot set for this month in Vancouver. If anyone’s interested, we just sneezed and would be willing to sell the tissue to a passing scriptwriter.

Leave a comment

Most Popular

  • News

    1. Reviews

      1. Features

        1. Video

          Close

          Log In to Total Film

          Forgotten your password?

          Close

          Join Total Film

          Registration is quick and easy

          Hint: Creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones

          As you are registering with Total Film, we would like to think that you'd enjoy receiving the following emails. If you'd rather not receive them, please untick the boxes:

          * Mandatory fields