ROBERT RODRIGUEZ TO ADAPT SIN CITY FOR FILM

[MattBrady]

It’s a match that genre movie and comic fans could only before now dream about: Robert Rodriguez adapting Frank Miller’s Sin City for Dimension Films. Ohhhh yeah.

According to Variety, Rodriguez has already filmed the opening to the movie with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton. Rodriguez will cast the remaining roles and begin filming in earnest in March.

As fans of Rodriguez work know (thanks to the "10 Minute Film School" featurettes on the DVD versions of his films), the filmmaker is extremely quick in his production times, thanks in no small part to having a finger on virtually every aspect of filmmaking himself (he wrote, directed, shot, designed, edited, scored, and produced Once Upon a Time in Mexico). Additonally, according to the director, his Spy Kids 3 was shot went from being in front of cameras to being in front of audiences in roughly six months.

Dimension has not yet said when they expect to release Sin City, but, given the above, it could be as soon as this fall.

Rather than adapting one single storyline, the film will incorporate storylines from three of Frank Miller’s graphic novels including: Sin City, That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill.

“This is the first time a graphic novel will be treated with absolute respect in how it is brought to the life. My pitch to Frank was that I didn’t want to adapt Sin City, but rather translate it to the screen. I also wanted him involved in every aspect of the production, including sharing in the directing. If you look at his books, you see that in a way they are already the best written, shot, and directed ‘movies’ never seen in a theater,” said Robert Rodriguez in a release from Dimension.

“We are tremendously excited to have such a visionary filmmaker as Robert Rodriguez bring his unique perspective to Sin City, said Dimension Chairman Bob Weinstein.

According to teh studio, Miller said he welcomed the chance to be so closely involved with the director: "Robert came to me with a bold, coherent plan to bring my baby to the screen. This is gonna be a whole new kind of crime movie."

Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellan will produce the project through their Troublemaker Studios label.

[manosx]

Robert is one of my Top 10 directors of All Time, and this could be his best ever. Opening night!!!!!!

[Kerouac]

Man, please tell me Hartnett's not playing Marv.

Matt

[cactusmaac]

Probably Dwight.

[MisterE]

I bet he plays Dwight.

[stvnhthr]

Those actors were just used for ten minutes of test footage, they probably are not in the final film at all.

[sythspawn]

That's great news! I can't wait to see this one!!

[Fazhoul]

This sounds like a perfect combination of director & material.

[blankpoint]

If you look at his books, you see that in a way they are already the best written, shot, and directed ‘movies’ never seen in a theater,” said Robert Rodriguez

Actually, they're just extremely well-done comics. Miller is a master of pacing and layout. He controls you completely while you're reading his books.

Just like Hellboy (from what I've seen of it), I fear that the very specific look of Sin City will not translate very well to film. The director sounds very well-intentioned, and I'm glad Frank's very involved, but I'd prefer to see The Long, Hard Goodbye first.

[krimsun]

Black and white please!
Clint Eastwood please!

Funky filters so we have The Yellow Bastard as yellow against a b&w background.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Would it be too much to hope for a black and white movie, instead of color?

Yeah, probably so.

-Augie

[JimHughs4]

Oh god, I'm drooling...

[Kerouac]

Probably Dwight.

Ah, good call. Phew. *wipes brow*

Matt

[pmpknface]

Originally posted by Augie De Blieck Jr.
Would it be too much to hope for a black and white movie, instead of color?

Yeah, probably so.

-Augie

I was thinking the same thing, but ya never know...

In any case, THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!

[J.D. Lombardi]

I'm off to go and camp out for tickets!

[J-Ray]

I used to love Rodriguez. El Marachi, Desperado...even Spy Kids was extremely well done.

This year he had Spy Kids 3 and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Watching both of these flicks, they felt rushed. It felt like the script was written in a day and a half. The visuals in Mexico were great...but I thought both movies blew.

If he's doing another typical Rodriguez rush-thru on a movie...especially Sin City, who needs it? Having Miller working on the movie with him doesn't mean it'll be good either. Robocop 3, anyone?

I was sort of excited to hear Rodriguez doing Madman....because that's the type of off-kilterness that Rodriguez could tap into.

Sin City...I just don't know.

[Jeremy Williams]

Fitting. Rodrigez does these great-looking shallow gritty action pictures and Sin City was great-looking shallow gritty action.

[tralfaz]

no Madman?

I will reserve any opinions until I see some test footage. Robert has many film styles and Im sure he could pull this off... film noir is just the coolest thing a filmmaker can do

[Barry]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Ohhhh yeah.

Somehow I don't see the New York Times or Entertainment Weekly starting off an article in this way...

[RDFozz]

Originally posted by Barry
Somehow I don't see the New York Times or Entertainment Weekly starting off an article in this way...

The NYTimes, no. Entertainment Weekly - haven't read one for several years now, but I certainly could see that. I seem to recall that not all of their articles are written in strict, unbiased journalist form.

It's actually a good way for the writer to communicate both bias and excitement in the first few sentences. It tells the reader, "I have an opinion - I think this will be good. Read on for more of why."

Given Matt's audience, details on who Miller is and what SIN CITY is about can be left out safely - if anyone doesn't know, they'll ask, and if they asked, we'll tell them.

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally posted by J-Ray
Having Miller working on the movie with him doesn't mean it'll be good either. Robocop 3, anyone?

As long as he's not working on another abomination like DK2...

[grphxkindaguy]

I loved the first SIN CITY story (the one w/Marv), but I felt each subsequent series got worse & worse.

The last one (I can't even recall the name of it) was the last straw for me. Just horrid, in art *and* story.

Soon after I sold the entire run (except for the tpb of the Marv story) on eBay.

I don't regret it in the least.

Even though I no longer have any interest in the comic book series, I *do* look forward to seeing the movie!!!

[batlash]

Originally posted by Augie De Blieck Jr.
Would it be too much to hope for a black and white movie, instead of color?

Yeah, probably so.

-Augie

With the digital technology Rodriguez uses, even if it goes to the theaters in color he could easily create a black and white version for the DVD which could be a very interesting option. Of course, it wouldn't be "true" black and white, but I doubt that would matter to most...

At any rate, I'm excited about this. Has tremendous potential.

[MattBrady]

With the techniques Rodriguez uses, he could cast Dean Martin as Marv, and set the whole thing on Venus without ever leaving his house.

MattB

[Rockin' Rich]

"And, in his feature acting debut, Harvey Weinstein in the role he was born to play, Marv!"
I can see it now...