‘The Beach’ Is Getting A New Adaptation, Says Alex Garland
By Ben Pearson/Feb. 23, 2018 4:00 pm EST
Alex Garland’s new movie Annihilation is in theaters right now, but the filmmaker got his start as a writer when his debut novel The Beach was published in 1996. The book was adapted into a movie in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and now Garland says that a new adaptation is in the works. Read on for more about the latest The Beach adaptation.
The Past
Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) directed the movie version of The Beach, which was written for the screen by John Hodge. (That pair are currently in talks for the next Bond movie, by the way.) Garland’s novel tells the story of a backpacker (DiCaprio) in Thailand who learns about an idyllic beach community that’s cut off from the bustling tourism scene, and the time he spends in that isolated community.
Boyle injects the film with kinetic visuals and stylistic flourishes – I specifically remember DiCaprio’s character believing he’s in a video game at one point – and the film devolves into a psychedelic bit of madness as it approaches its conclusion. Take a look at the trailer:
‘The Beach’ Is Getting A New Adaptation, Says Alex Garland
By Ben Pearson/Feb. 23, 2018 4:00 pm EST
Alex Garland’s new movie Annihilation is in theaters right now, but the filmmaker got his start as a writer when his debut novel The Beach was published in 1996. The book was adapted into a movie in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and now Garland says that a new adaptation is in the works. Read on for more about the latest The Beach adaptation.
The Past
Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) directed the movie version of The Beach, which was written for the screen by John Hodge. (That pair are currently in talks for the next Bond movie, by the way.) Garland’s novel tells the story of a backpacker (DiCaprio) in Thailand who learns about an idyllic beach community that’s cut off from the bustling tourism scene, and the time he spends in that isolated community.
Boyle injects the film with kinetic visuals and stylistic flourishes – I specifically remember DiCaprio’s character believing he’s in a video game at one point – and the film devolves into a psychedelic bit of madness as it approaches its conclusion. Take a look at the trailer:
Boyle injects the film with kinetic visuals and stylistic flourishes – I specifically remember DiCaprio’s character believing he’s in a video game at one point – and the film devolves into a psychedelic bit of madness as it approaches its conclusion. Take a look at the trailer:
The Future
Comment from discussion Freelove_Freeway’s comment from discussion “I am Alex Garland the writer and director of the new film Annihilation AMA”.
Comment from discussion Alex_Garland’s comment from discussion “I am Alex Garland the writer and director of the new film Annihilation AMA”.
Either way, it’s easy to imagine a new version of this story as a limited series on a premium cable network or streaming service. The premise is certainly strong enough to sustain a few episodes of television, and would be a great opportunity to introduce the world to some new talent. (Though she’d already been working for some time already by then, the film version was my introduction to Tilda Swinton.)
I doubt this will happen, but it’d be fascinating to see Boyle return to direct a TV version of the story. Maybe he could do it for FX, the network where his series Trust is airing. He could even cast Ewan McGregor as one of the older characters this time around to make up for Boyle ditching the actor in the original movie. Boyle had promised the starring film role to McGregor, and the decision to go with DiCaprio instead caused a rift between Boyle and McGregor that lasted for years. But the two are friendly again now, so maybe another collaboration is in the cards.
