When it was announced that Kenneth Branagh would be the man to direct the comic book movie Thor, the world did a collective double take. After all, we're talking about a guy whose previous directorial efforts include mostly Shakespeare adaptations like Henry V, Hamlet, Love's Labour's Lost, and Much Ado About Nothing. Though we're still waiting to see how his venture into the world of comics turns out, his next project seems to be much more his speed.
Variety reports that the Weinstein Company has purchased the rights to Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat and have signed Branagh to direct the film adaptation. The book is about the U of Washington rowing team in the 1930s and is described as "a cross between Seabiscuit and Chariots of Fire." Speaking about his plans for the project, Branagh said,
"The Boys in The Boat is an epic. I was completely captivated by the characters, the era, and the dreams of a generation unfolding beautifully and dramatically."
To be perfectly frank, what I'm really hoping for from this project is that it is simply a two hour version of the Henley Regatta sequence from David Fincher's The Social Network. If they do that, I see 15 Oscars in their future.
