I’d love to claim that I was hip to “On the Road” back in high school or even college when those ideas seemed to be swirling around. It’s a novel that finds a happy home amongst the same people that have dug about as far into “Catcher in the Rye” as they can and are looking for something to calm their wandering hearts. But I didn’t find it back then. It took me road-tripping from DC to Texas, and a copy of the novel in CD format gifted to me by my close friend Marco, to lead me down the path of the converted.
Many have accused the book of being rambling (or, the most famous critique – “That’s not writing. That’s typing,”) but I genuinely fell in love with the book, the freedom it expounds, and the deflated sense of that romantic notion in a real world full of responsibilities.
I’ve also wanted to see it put into production for a long time, because I think it’s a case where a new audience could be found for the book. Thus, I wrote about it for a Print to Projector article not too long ago, and if this news is correct (or ends up going through), my dreamcasting was way off.
According to Production Weekly, via their twitter feed, the Tron Legacy star Garrett Hedlund is in talks to play Moriarty in an adaptation of Jack Keroauc’s famous novel.
The barest of bones of information, but at least it looks like the project finally has some new life to it.
As noted in that Print to Projector column, Francis Ford Coppola (fresh off his stint of hating the movie industry) still owns the rights and has been developing the project with Motorcycle Diaries director Walter Salles at the helm. Not a bad choice considering the subject matter.
I wish I could comment on Hedlund, but I haven’t really seen a lot of his work to form an opinion, and I’m not sure if Tron will give us much insight. Moriarty is a tough character to crack – one that require the highest highs and the lowest lows from whomever plays him.
Apparently, cameras will roll this summer. Ready or not.
What do you think?
Related Topics: Casting
