What’s Steven Spielberg gonna do when Tintin wraps? If you read the title to this story, then you already know, but for the rest of you, let’s spell it out. Spielberg is in talk to produce and possibly direct Matt Helm for Paramount.
“Matt Helm” is based on a series of 27 novels written by Donald Hamilton about a government agent whose mission is to take down enemy agents. While the novels were set in the post-WWII Cold War era, the current script is set in the present. While a series of tongue-in-cheek films were made with Dean Martin playing Helm as a playboy spy, the tone of Attanasio’s script is closer to that of “The Bourne Identity.”
While the Matt Helm novels rock it for those wanting an alternative to James Bond, any modern take will instantly be compared to Bond or Bourne, and that ultimately could hurt the franchise.
A new script was delivered to Paramount last week that has Spielberg all excited, so this deal could move from talk to production very quickly.
4 Comments
What I never understood is that if …
Marvel and DC can have a hundred million superheroes
and
Anime and Manga can have a hundred million people that have telekinesis that know kung fu
and sill make each interesting and different.
Why does Hollywood get stuck into this James Bond look alike quagmire. If Jason Bourne was able to stand out from James Bond shadow in film, as long as it is written differently this concept can to.
Teletran-1 Because Hollywood is about making money, and they use a formula to do it. If it works for one, then it must work for everything else. That’s the reason why every Michael Bay film looks exactly alike. Big explosions, boobies, high action chase scenes, and little to no character development, put butts in seats, and makes money for the studios.
I don’t know if Jason Bourne is in James Bond’s shadow at all, really. I really think those movies have their own distinct fanbase (probably skewing younger than the average “Bond” fan) and identity thanks to Matt Damon reprising his role for all three movies.
I think with Spielbergo in the Director’s seat, that will instantly create enough buzz unto itself to bring interest to Matt Helm, and I’m sure a guy with enough experience in this department is well aware of the Bond/Bourne comparisons and will do all he can to make it different.
You need a “tour de force” with no slip ups in keeping it in Helm’s point of view. He sees it, you see it. He doesn’t, you don’t. THAT was what made me love the books. You had the same information he did, no more, no less. They made a movie once that way(“Lady in the Lake” by Robert Montgomery) . It wasn’t a great success but I did enjoy it. Check it out.