Get this passionate passion project in our eyeballs, stat.
Angela Robinson‘s resume is beefing up incredibly. The Tracking Board reports that the Professor Marston and the Wonder Women director is developing an adaptation of the Eisner Award-winning serialized comic, “Strangers in Paradise.” Comic author Terry Moore will be directly involved in bringing the acclaimed 90-issue series to the big screen.
Both spy thriller and romance drama, the “Strangers in Paradise” comics interweaves three characters — Francine, Katchoo, and David — and examines their relationship dynamics as part of a love triangle. To break it down, Francine thinks of Katchoo as a friend despite the fact that the latter is in love with the former. David is infatuated with Katchoo, and their actual relationship status is rather complicated. These convoluted story lines then intersect when Katchoo’s shady underground past catches up with her; her boss is hunting her down along with $850,000 of missing mob cash.
So it is probably an excellent idea that original writer Moore is working closely with Robinson on this adaptation, because that is a lot of ground to cover in film form. Although there is word that this could very well end up being a three-part saga, covering material as knotty as this while including the dark mobster subplot might have been too much for a different director. Thankfully, Robinson has actually dealt with similar topics due to her work on Professor Marston, a film that features three protagonists in a love triangle of their own. Professor Marston has been positively received since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Reviewers have noted Robinson’s care in developing character relationships without fetishistic tendencies, despite the sexual nature of the film. Collider writes:
“Robinson is intensely focused on ensuring that every shot and frame reinforce the genuine love these people have for each other. Don’t get me wrong, the love scenes are downright sexy, but there’s no male gaze here—the focus is always on the pleasure of the women, not of the man, and that goes a long way towards expressing the dynamics in play.”
According to The Tracking Board, Robinson and Moore have known each other for years and the quest to adapt “Strangers in Paradise” has been ten years in the making. Robinson’s respectful treatment of not just source material but intricate interpersonal relationships and sexual desire (including LGBTQ+ representation to boot) makes her a fantastic fit for this project. Here’s to hoping that her penchant for making superheroes out of splendidly ordinary folk will shine through tremendously.
Related Topics: Angela Robinson
