The name Ray Bradbury should ring a bell with you. He’s the legendary author of Fahrenheit 451, one of the most important books ever written. With that and many of his other works having been brought to the big screen, it is no surprise that Dandelion Wine, the book he follow Fahrenheit with in 1957, has been scooped up by Phoenix Pictures to be adapted for the big screen.
Bradbury is no stranger to the film industry, though at age 91 he hasn’t been as active in recent years. As it happens the author's birthday is today, and according to a statement given to Deadline he's been gifted with the chance to see another one of his novels brought to the screen.
This is the best birthday gift I could ask for. Today, I have been reborn! Dandelion Wine is my most deeply personal work and brings back memories of sheer joy as well as terror. This is the story of me as a young boy and the magic of an unforgettable summer which still holds a mystical power over me.
The book was an amalgamation of many previously published Bradbury short stories that found life in 50s magazines. When in 1957 the stories were pieced together for the novel version of Dandelion Wine, it became clear that Bradbury himself was the main character, pseudonymed as Douglas Spaulding, and that this was his childhood on paper.
Bradbury himself chose Rodion Nahapetov to write the script, a strange choice if you look at his short and less than impressive writing resume. But the novel holds nearly as special a special place in his heart as it does for Bradbury, and his passion seems to have gotten him the job.
I was deeply honored when Ray Bradbury chose me to write the screenplay adaptation for his novel Dandelion Wine. When I began my studies at the Cinema Institute in Moscow, many foreign books were banned in Soviet Russia. Still, I decided to make my short film based upon Dandelion Wine because this novel represented to me the childhood I never had. My childhood had been stolen by the ravages and destruction of post World War II Russia and “Dandelion Wine” restored it back for me.
This sort of passion always brings an edge to a piece, and that Nahapetov’s wife Natasha Shliapnikoff is producing means that someone will always be around to hold him accountable.
No other details about the film have currently been released, but with Bradbury’s name attached we can expect Phoenix to move quickly once they receive Nahapetov’s script. Stay tuned for more on Dandelion Wine as the film nears production.
