When they were 11, Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala set out to make a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. They finished it just in time to celebrate with a legally bought pack of cigarettes or an “I Voted” sticker.
Their efforts have become something of a cult phenomenon, and now, according to Deadline Hollywood, Napoleon Dynamite producer Jeremy Coon has optioned the book that was written about the childhood friends and their fan film with the intention of making a documentary and a fictional feature. Naturally, he’ll have to work out an arrangement with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, but if they give him their (legal) blessing, it could also be a big boon for the legitimacy of his projects. A tacit thumbs up from two titans.
A documentary sounds excellent. It’s easy to imagine that there’s a lot of worth in hearing the full story of how and why they did what they did (especially since it involved at least one trip to the hospital during a particularly brave DIY lesson in special effects). On the other hand, a fictional feature that echoes the documentary of two teenagers making a movie from another movie seems like overkill.
Then again, you see how well Argo did. Check out Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation for yourself:
