When done right, a movie based on an Elmore Leonard book can be utterly fantastic. Sadly, however, for every hit, there tends to be a miss. Jackie Brown: Good, The Big Bounce: Bad. Get Shorty: Good, Be Cool: Bad. Let's hope the newest venture into Leonard's literary work turns out on the right side.
Deadline reports that William H. Macy, who is currently promoting his newest film, Dirty Girl, at the Toronto International Film Festival, has signed on to star in Freaky Deaky, an adaptation written and to be directed by Charlie Matthau. Set in the 1970s, Macy will play Woody Ricks, an alcoholic millionaire who works with a group of radicals who "use their skills for blowing stuff up for entrepreneurial purposes." Production is scheduled to begin next year.
When you take into account Leonard's flair and style, it shouldn't be surprising that so many of his books are adapted for the big screen, but it is a shame that they aren't always treated well. Let's hope that this one is a little more like Out of Sight than Killshot and that Macy is a little more like Fargo than Wild Hogs.
