Tuesday, February 7, 2012

More public-domain adaptations: Peter Pan, Mysterious Island and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Yesterday I wrote about multiple film and TV adaptations of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” Here are some more adaptations of public domain works on the way.

The Mysterious Island

The Jules Verne novel “The Mysterious Island” (1874) has been refashioned into the family adventure movie “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” starring Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens. It’s set for release on Friday Feb. 10.
“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” is billed as a sequel to the 2008 film “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” which was based on the 1864 novel of the same name by Verne.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

ABC is developing two TV series based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s split-personality tale “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” first published in 1886.
One series is called “Hyde,” which is described as a modern-day take on the story. It’s being developed by “Up in the Air” co-writer Sheldon Turner, Deadline says.
The other series is from producer Mark Gordon and writer Matt Lopez (“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”). It is pitched as “a suspenseful, darkly romantic retelling of the classic tale with a unique sci-fi twist,” Deadline reports.

Treasure Island

Another Robert Louis Stevenson book, “Treasure Island” (1883), is being made into a mini-series for the Syfy channel. It will star Elijah Wood, Donald Sutherland and Eddie Izzard and is set to air early this year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Peter Pan

Several adaptations of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan,” which debuted as a play in 1904 and a novel in 1911, are in the works.
Actor Channing Tatum is set to star in “Pan,” which will tell the origins of Peter Pan, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, actor Aaron Eckhart has signed up to play Hook in a modern update of the tale. In this version, Hook is the hero, “a former detective who is chasing a notorious and childlike kidnapper,” EW says. “Wendy (is) the only kid to survive her abduction by the fiend.”
Disney is considering a Peter Pan prequel movie called “Peter and the Starcatchers,” based on a best-selling novel written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the Wrap reports.
The most recent remake of “Peter Pan” was by the SyFy channel. It made a two-part miniseries called “Neverland,” which aired in December. (See photo below.)


To be continued …

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