Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Blue Like Jazz...The Movie...

Blue Like Jazz is getting the movie treatment. According to a recent post on his website (and alluded to in an interview a few months back on the RELEVANT Podcast), Don Miller is working with Ben Pearson and Steve Taylor to finish a script version of his best seller. He said they hope to start production sometime next year ...

To read more about this and how they might turn it into a movie continue reading...

Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson have been in Portland for the past week and we’ve pretty much completed the screenplay for Blue Like Jazz the movie. We’ve been working on the script for about a year, either with me flying to Nashville for a week at a time to sit around a table and hash out the story, or with Steve and Ben coming to Portland to stay at my house. When studios became more excited about the screenplay, we felt the need to wrap it up, and in the last few days we’ve pretty much done so. And I dont know if I’ve had more fun, or been more challenged, with any other writing project. I’m excited to see how the guys end up shooting the story.

To say we’ve given the book a Hollywod treatment is an understatement. The book itself would be, of course, difficult to turn into a movie, and so we took creative liberties. But in my opinion, the movie will be infinitely better than the book. Essentially we’ve taken the major, real life characters from the book, and gave them a story all their own. The end result is provactive and humorous and in my opinion quite moving. I cant wait for people to see the film.

We think production will be able to start next year, and the film will be shot on location in Portland. And I am as excited about showing off my town as I am about telling the story. I will keep you posted.

2 comments:

Spiro said...

crazy. i mentioned this on my blog-- i sent my readers here.

i feel like it's meant to be a book, but, i'll def go see the movie.

Rich Sclafani said...

Hey J,

Thanks for the hit. I'm with you it is meant to be a book - but I am also excited to see how it comes together on the big screen.