Scorsese begins filming THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET on June 1st!

Martin Scorsese is tapping into kids literature for the first time. Variety say filming will begin June 1st on The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Scorsese's adaptation of Brian Selznick's 2007 illustrated children's book that centers on a 12 year old boy who lives within the walls of a Paris train station in 1930. Why would Scorsese be interested in kids lit? Well looking closely, the novel actually exists closer to the panels of an old silent movie. It's filled with cinematic black and white still drawings, inter-spread with lines of text. The history of cinema actually plays a big part of the novel (famous magician turned filmmaker Georges Melies moonlights as the owner of a toy shop), and we all know Scorsese loves cinema's past (his recent acceptance speech for his lifetime Globe Award was him congratulating dead directors) and is well known for his contributions to preserving film prints. John Logan (The Aviator, Sweeney Todd) wrote the screenplay and it'll be be financed and produced by Graham King (The Departed), with Sony and Paramount in talks to distribute. Here's the plot...

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo€™s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together.

Author Brian Selznick is actually the first grandson of legendary Hollywood film producer David O. Selznick, the man behind such classics as Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and King Kong. Scorsese & GK Films purchased the rights to the novel in 2007 and originally setup at Warner Bros. When Scorsese decided to make Shutter Island - the director positioned Ice Age helmer Chris Wedge in charge but when that attempt failed to materialise and the project went into turnaround, Scorsese decided he loved the book enough to make it as his next feature, and by all accounts it will film this summer.