The Telegraph reports that Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes has asked playwright Christopher Hampton to adapt Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland into a screenplay.Hampton wrote the screenplay for Ian McEwan's Atonement. Hampton views the adaptation of O’Neill’s book, which is partly about playing cricket in New York City, as a challenge:
I quail at the idea of adapting it. This is a very difficult project, I know that. … I don't think it is possible to make cricket clear to people who don't understand the game. But luckily there isn't very much ball-by-ball stuff in this novel and it is actually more popular in the US than we imagine it is.
3 comments:
I'll bet cricket takes a back seat to the relationships in any screenplay adaptation. I'm imagining the hotel playing a much smaller role as well.
I think you are right - this will be a tough one for them to adapt and it would probably fair much better as a low-budget independent production because I can't imagine the story drawing a large box office crowd.
I actually haven't read this book or heard much press about it. I will have to go do some investigating and see if would be something I would like.
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