Martin Scorsese Adapting a Children's Book?

We'll have to see if this actually bears fruit, but a Tweet from The Auters Daily (later reported by The Playlist) heralds Martin Scorsese's next movie as The Invention of Hugo Cabret, an adaptation of Brian Selnick's novel. If it's true - if it's true - Scorsese would bypass that long-awaited Frank Sinatra biopic and, as The Playlist points out, another mob movie with Robert De Niro. There is reason to believe this is possible, even if we'd never expect Scorsese to work in the children's fiction genre. For starters, John Logan wrote the adaptation, and he handled The Aviator, and Graham King (The Departed) is hooked up to this as a producer. Warner Bros., which released both of those films, would distribute Hugo Cabret, as well. Scorsese has a history, as do most successful directors, of working with players he's comfortable with, on screen and off. So there might be something to this, although it used to be a project for Ice Age director Chris Wedge, so that would be quite a step up. The story goes that Marty would shoot in Paris first, beginning in May, and then conclude the production in London. Perhaps you're like me and you have no idea what the hell The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about. Thankfully, they write synopses for books:

"Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery."

Another way to look at this is that Scorsese might be taking aim at new styles of films (and in fact, his career is loaded with such examples). So maybe this shouldn't be so surprising. However, should it really leapfrog Sinatra?

Comments

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To answer your last question of this post....NO! I have wanted the Sinatra pic for a long time. Come on Marty.