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Post by roverpup on May 29, 2018 18:56:17 GMT
I think I have mentioned before that one of my husband's books was put forth to be made into a movie at one time (the one about the boxer) but it has been in "development hell" for many years now. But just few minutes ago we got a call from an interested party (was a big time producer at the CTV network) who is anxious to move forward on it and told us since the option on it by another person ran out, he wants to contact Dan's publisher and get the movie right again! So maybe there may be some new movement on that front - here's crossing our fingers at least it will be done!!
I realise this is kind of a weird thing to post about but I guess I am just kind of jazzed about it and just had to share with my internet pals. Hope you don't mind.
:-))
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Post by mllemass on May 29, 2018 21:03:22 GMT
Maybe you can get SunnyMarch interested in it! Is there a part for a tall, handsome blue-eyed Englishman with high cheekbones?
It all sounds very exciting! I'd like to know how it all turns out.
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Post by roverpup on May 29, 2018 21:16:50 GMT
Maybe you can get SunnyMarch interested in it! Is there a part for a tall, handsome blue-eyed Englishman with high cheekbones? It all sounds very exciting! I'd like to know how it all turns out. Lol! Unfortunately no, but I would love it if there were!! Tommy Burns (the man who the book was about) was almost a complete opposite of BC - short, stocky, and a Canadian of German immigrant heritage. But the funny thing is at one time we had heard that Paul Gross (of Due South fame) was interested in doing the adaptation of Dan's book and playing Tommy Burns in it. And I don't think he looks ANYTHING like the actual man! :-))
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Post by queenzod on May 29, 2018 23:52:18 GMT
Congratulations on the nibble! (If that’s the correct thing to say, lol.) Very exciting. When will you find out more?
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Post by roverpup on May 30, 2018 3:06:10 GMT
As to when more news will be coming is anybody’s guess. It could be years even if things gone smoothly. It is all dependent on some very detailed matters concerning the waivers on the movie options that were taken by another party who apparently has lost the right to option it now, but that is the publisher’s concern. I do know the payment of that movie option wasn’t on Dan’s last royalty cheque, so now maybe the CTV people may get a chance to option it. We have been through so many versions of up and downs on this thing - at one time the music was being scored and locations were scouted out for the production and then it all went “tits up” and everything was back to ground zero!
It’s all so complicated. That’s why it is called “development hell”!
But Dan doesn’t worry about that sort of thing - it is all just interesting side points that he shrugs off and he never let’s that sort of thing take up any of his time. He is too involved in his new writing endeavour (which is coming along nicely now).
Having lived through our own much, much smaller version, it kind of makes me laugh when I hear people talk about BC’s movies and wonder how some ideas don’t come to fruition or why it takes so long for some things listed on IMdB to be made. I certainly understand why he has his own production company now and the control it gives him of his material.
:-))
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Post by dreamsincolour on May 30, 2018 18:08:51 GMT
So NOT weird! And how really, really nice! Not at all surprised you're excited. Who on Earth wouldn't be? Your Dan sounds wonderfully pragmatic, but I bet he's still chuffed to pieces too. Apart from his involvement with his current project, though, I'd bet he just won't want to raise his hopes (and yours) too far while there are still some hoops to go through. There's no point in allowing himself to get preoccupied by the prospect of the film until the ground is as sure as it can be. It must have been desperately disappointing when things fell through before!
I just went to look up your Tommy Burns. Thought his younger self looked rather like a younger Tom Hardy (lol). But is he the Canadian hero he should be, or has he fallen back into obscurity outside specific boxing history? Either way, I'm not at all surprised there's interest in making a film about him, even apart from that interest being such a very positive reflection of your Dan's book.
Out of curiosity, what's his current project about? Apologies if you've said before (I have a vague memory of something being said about it when you were in London)?
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Post by roverpup on May 30, 2018 19:29:15 GMT
So NOT weird! And how really, really nice! Not at all surprised you're excited. Who on Earth wouldn't be? Your Dan sounds wonderfully pragmatic, but I bet he's still chuffed to pieces too. Apart from his involvement with his current project, though, I'd bet he just won't want to raise his hopes (and yours) too far while there are still some hoops to go through. There's no point in allowing himself to get preoccupied by the prospect of the film until the ground is as sure as it can be. It must have been desperately disappointing when things fell through before! I just went to look up your Tommy Burns. Thought his younger self looked rather like a younger Tom Hardy (lol). But is he the Canadian hero he should be, or has he fallen back into obscurity outside specific boxing history? Either way, I'm not at all surprised there's interest in making a film about him, even apart from that interest being such a very positive reflection of your Dan's book. Out of curiosity, what's his current project about? Apologies if you've said before (I have a vague memory of something being said about it when you were in London)? Thanks Dreams. We were a lot more excited a few years back when they were picking out location shoots and the music. But at least this time shows that the possibilities haven’t ended. We did think it was strange that the $$$ for the option rights weren’t included in his royalty cheque this quarter but not curious to actually ask about it. Now we know why so it actually is good news - the sooner they move on from the fellow who owned that option the better as far as we are concerned. Yeah, now that you mention it Tom Hardy might be able to pull him off! Dan’s book is the definitive bio on Tommy Burns and if I might say so his book has made Burns' reputation rise in the boxing circles (Dan is credited with this in a number of books since his came out and in internet boxing forums). It still is a story little known in the general public but it has generated some interest since being published. An interesting point is that Burn’s reputation was completely destroyed because he lost to the great black fighter Jack Johnson. Jack London (the famous writer) was instrumental in destroying Burns' place in history because he was a complete racist and made a concerted effort to make sure Burns was disgraced in the press (he wrote about the losing championship fight that was reproduced EVERYWHERE) because London figured the fact that Burns had lost to a black was so disgraceful that Burns had to be made into a total pariah to “explain” a black man winning over a white. Dan became interested in Tommy Burns when he met and interviewed Mohammad Ali (one on one) and Ali mentioned that he admired Tommy Burns because he gave Johnson a chance to be a champion when no other fight would cross the “colour line”. That set Dan off on a mission to find out (through an incredible amount of original research) as much as he could about Burns. His book includes absolutely fascinating stories about Burns' life (and he had a really interesting life - including marrying a mixed race woman and fighting all races of boxers everywhere in the world at a time when traveling was very difficult). A movie would help elevate Burns further out of the shadows and into the more mainstream of the public’s consciousness. I helped a wee bit (and I mean very wee) with the book too - I took a picture for the book and have a photo credit! His latest project is a book on the life of a naval seaman in the Royal Canadian Navy. He co-authoring it with his best friend Mary-Jane (the person who is the central figure in the book is Mary-Jane’s father). It was my idea that they write the book (as she had some serious depression issues this past year and needed some positive direction for her life during her retirement). it is coming along well but there is much work to do (writing is a long, long process). Thanks for your interest in this. :-))
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Post by ellie on May 30, 2018 21:03:25 GMT
Sounds very exciting Roverpup. Hope it works out. 🤞
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Post by roverpup on Aug 27, 2019 13:10:18 GMT
Nothing about the movie, but Dan was just contacted by the Library and Archives of Canada to do an hour long podcast on his book about Tommy Burns. They have to get back to him on the exact details as to when they will be doing it, but they were very enthusiastic about him being the guest on their show. Apparently they have quite a following on iTunes etc. Just thought I'd share the good news!
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Post by sgev1977 on Aug 27, 2019 13:14:11 GMT
Congratulations!
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