Tom Tykwer is on CLOUD ATLAS

Don't be put off by it's Richard and Judy Book of the Year winning status, CLOUD ATLAS is not a populist trashy novel for the masses. Though I would recommend it to everyone, having read it myself, it clearly isn't for everyone. It requires patience, it's often a frustrating book which requires you to constantly act as a philosopher as you are reading it but it's tremendously re-warding by the last line. I couldn't put it down, read it in two or three nights. I'm not even sure I particularly liked it but it always fascinated me. My reaction to the novel was very much the same as this review from The Guardian's opening paragraph...

David Mitchell entices his readers on to a rollercoaster, and at first they wonder if they want to get off. Then - at least in my case - they can't bear the journey to end. Trust the tale. He reaches a cumulative ending of all of them, and then finishes them all individually, giving a complete narrative pleasure that is rare.

First Showing have word that German writer/director Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN, PERFUME: STORY OF A MURDERER) is adapting David Mitchell's complex novel for the big screen. He told them so much himself...

"I'm trying to adapt a novel called Cloud Atlas, which is a novel by David Mitchell that I'm really completely excited about. And I'm sitting down with the Wachowski Brothers and trying to adapt that for a screenplay. It's very interesting."

Very interesting indeed. Mitchell's novel is broken down into six different perspectives, all set at different time periods but are still somewhat connected to each other. Sometimes by suspense, sometimes by historical events and sometimes by pathos. All these different perspectives are also like their own different genre's (there's one set in the future which is pure dystopian science fiction) which many might find frustrating about the book and you would automatically think would make it un-filmable as a literal and faithful translation. First Showing believe Tykwer would have to choose which of the character and perspectives he would want to adapt for the movie to work. /film have also being playing Columbo as to why Natalie Portman will end up with a role in the movie... 1) They received a odd e-mail scoop a couple of months ago claiming Portman would star in an adaptation. 2) She has worked with Tykwer on PARIS JE 'TAIME (they shot a 10 minute short together) and The Wachowski's (who hired her for V FOR VENDETTA). 3) She admitted she fell in love with the CLOUD ATLAS novel during filming of V FOR VENDETTA. Tykwer is a very interesting helmer, he always makes memorable and atmospheric movies. We don't know he is directing this yet but I would sure as hell love to see what he could come up with for it. His first Hollywood movie, the paranoia thriller THE INTERNATIONAL opens at the end of next month starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.