Boston Marathon Bombing Book To Become Film?
Deadline reported earlier in the week that the co-writers of David O. Russells true-story inspired boxing drama The Fighter have acquired the rights to adapt a forthcoming book about the tragic April 15th Boston bombings. Titled "Boston Strong", the book is currently being transcribed by Casey Sherman and David Wedge and reportedly follows the aftermath of the explosion at the finale of the Boston Marathon, specifically the hunt of the suspects and the initial civilian devastation that occurred. Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, two of the three writers from The Fighter, are working on the screenplay. There is of course warranted skepticism surrounding this project to the point where I would be surprised if a studio followed through with it at this point in time... though of course in the end, movies are usually made about every travesty eventually. But just three months after the event, has Hollywood really gotten this creatively bankrupt? True stories containing taboo subject material come and go frequently but never has it come across this exploitative and rushed. You could argue Zero Dark Thirty succeeded in executing the same strategy but Zero Dark Thirty was in production before the death of Osama Bin Laden. Only the resolution was tweaked to serve a more fitting ending. Nobody was pressuring Kathryn Bigelow to direct a movie about Bin Laden; she already was. Furthermore, a large portion of that film dealt with events that occurred years ago. Of course you can always argue that even when time passes, were still acknowledging the ghastly actions and cementing them with luxurious entertainment. This opens up an entirely new, sensationalistic can of worms asking if Hollywood should adapt senseless acts of violence into film at all. Personally, I do not believe violence in films or even video games create monsters. I believe they can trigger thoughts in those that are already mentally ill, but thats all. Its the suddenness of these announced projects that rubs people the wrong way. Let people grieve for a while. Obviously the victims and those affected will possibly never get over it, but waiting definitely sends a more respectful tone. What do you think about the proposed Boston Strong film or the overarching dilemma? Let us know in the comments below!