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EXCLUSIVE: Harlan Coben, one of the biggest-selling mystery writers in America, is finally in line to have one of his books made into a major Hollywood film. And all he had to do was make a detour through France.
Warner Bros and Universal Pictures have optioned rights to Coben’s thriller Tell No One. Ben Affleck is attached to direct, and the script will be written by Chris Terrio. Terrio scripted Argo, the film Affleck is preparing to direct next for Warner Bros. Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will be the producers. The studios will co-develop the picture, with Warner Bros releasing domestically and Universal Pictures International launching it overseas. The deal involves Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp, and that’s where the French connection comes in. The new project is basically a remake of the French film adaptation of Coben’s book, which was directed by Guillaume Canet.
Coben originally set up his book at Sony Pictures in 2002. The studio hired Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, no less. Coben has a page-turning writing style, but his mysteries aren’t seamless screen transitions. It never quite came together and Sony let it go. Canet then got involved, figured out how to make the premise work, set it up at EuropaCorp and turned it into French film. The plot involves a pediatrician who is out one night frolicking by a lake with his wife when she suddenly vanishes and he is severely beaten when he tries to find her. When she turns up murdered, he is prime suspect. That’s until she’s declared a victim of a caught serial killer. Years later, bodies turn up in the same spot and the nightmare is repeated, the pediatrician again under suspicion. Right around that time, he’s given evidence that his wife wasn’t dead at all. Canet managed to make all of that work, anchored by the fact the protagonist never got over the death of his wife. Sarah Schechter and Greg Silverman are running the project for Warner Bros, and Adam Yoelin is steering it for Kennedy/Marshall.
Maybe this gives hope to Coben’s other books. That includes the series revolving around hoops star-turned-sports agent and sleuth Myron Bolitar. John Calley bought those rights at Sony Pictures years ago but could never get a script he could make. Do they have sports agent/sleuths in France? UPDATE: Just heard Gaumont controls the Bolitar mysteries and is slowly developing Long Lost. At this rate, Coben will be as big in France as Jerry Lewis.
Affleck and Coben are repped by WME, Terrio by CAA and Anonymous Content.
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I hope it’s set in Boston.
I don’t get Ben Affleck. I’m sorry. I just don’t. He’s an adequate actor, and a decent director, but why is everyone all in a dither about the guy. I mean honestly, he’s middle of the list in both segments. WB get a director who’s good.
Signed a filmfan
A filmfan that has no taste.
“Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town” are both very good films. Affleck has proven that he is a capable director.
Gone Baby Gone is a very, very good film. And as far as Affleck, I while I think he has flaws, his directorial efforts have been surprisingly good.
You HACKED my moniker.
And Affleck IS a talented director who is getting better and better. He gets movies made that other people can’t get made.
You’re not Film Fan.
When is CAA going to sign Ben Affleck already?
Isn’t Ben about 10 or 20 years too young to be a movie star at CAA? Most of those guys and gals are grandparents in real life.
I had my fingers crossed that after Gone Baby, Gone ( an excellent film by the way) & The Town ( a serious step up amazing book adaptation of ~prince of thieves~) that Ben Affleck would not be swayed by money to remake like the rest of Hollywood. This may turn out to be a good move but its still a remake & that’s the problem too much copy and not enough originality in film. Case in point True Grit remake was good but its still a remake regardless of how you look at it. Unless you literally have emptied out Barnes and Noble, the Drama book store ( which sells stage plays out of its NYC store), The Black List as well as other ways to get your hands on original screenplays the need to remake so often is clearly not neccesary, period.
Seconded. I thought Affleck did great jobs with Gone Baby Gone and The Town but instead of remaking this one, why not do another Coben book, or go to another writer of good hardboiled crime fiction – writers like Peter Steiner, Boston Teran, CJ Songer or Tom Piccirilli? Affleck may have found his niche – he should be moving onward not doing remakes.
I THIRD that!
I saw the French film version of this book and it was outstanding. I think Ben will do a great job with an American version, he’s certainly proving his chops as a talented director.
Seconded, DebbiecDC. The French film is excellent. Question remains whether the remake will be follow the template or attempt to ‘improve’ it, with those ‘essential’ car chases, explosions and shoot outs today’s trailers and audiences demand. My gut feeling, and hope, is that Ben Affleck will respect the original.
I agree on all accounts. I loved the French version of “Tell No One.” And I think Affleck — especially after “The Town” — will really do the project justice. Can’t wait to see it.
I think that TELL NO ONE is exactly the type of project that Ben should be doing. It suits his talents well and was a fantastic film. I also think that Canet could and should have a much greater presence in Hollywood. He is a solid actor but a fantastic director. For anyone that hasn’t seen the original, it is well worth your time. Having read ARGO (which is a fine script but short of great), I look forward to the remake more than his next film.
I agree re: Canet, but am more excited about ARGO. I have no idea how the movie will be or whether Affleck is right for it, but I have a minor obsession with that script.
Argo is an unbelievable script – I’m very excited to see what kind of spin Terrio puts on this thriller…
The French film was perfect. It shouldn’t be remade.
Agreed.
Canet’s film had spine tingling suspense with great characters. Why a remake?
Yawn. Why are film fans so lazy that they have an allergy to subtitles?
This remake maybe will follow in the footsteps of the LET THE RIGHT ONE IN retread: Faithful to a fault.
Great, filmaking as a Xerox.
The French version was easily one of the most ‘accessibly’ subtitled movies of the last decade. What is going wrong with the world.
The French movie was sublime. Why don’t they adapt another Coben book or even better get on with adapting Michael Connelly novels.
They have to make THE WOODS into movie. By far the best book!!
I loved The Woods!!! Paul Copeland is, in my opinion, the best character in all his books. They’re all great and I’m glad to see Harlan getting the recognition he rightfully deserves.
I just finished The Woods and loved it! Seems as though it would be a difficult adaptation though?? Much, much going on in that book however, if they could it would make an excellent movie.. Off to Book store now to buy Tell No One.
Agreed – the French version is a fantastic film – well acted, expertly directed. That being said – I a huge fan of Gone, Baby, Gone and I liked The Town a lot. It’s a shame so many people won’t watch films with subtitles though – you are missing so many good films (and most dubbing is absolutely horrendous and not the way to see a foreign film – the Danish film 2007 The Substitute is a prime example – terrific foreign film – horrible dubbing – it ruins it).
Seriously, could we stop this “Jerry Lewis is huge in France” stuff? What year is it, 1973 ?
An amazing luminous film with terrific suspense, love the French version, didn’t it win best foreign film? Don’t really see Affleck helming it, more of a Nolan/Cohen bros type film.
Ben has def reinvented himself and I think he’ll do a great job with Tell No One… According to IMDB it looks as though a few of Harlan’s books are also optioned. I’m sure those will now be put on the fast track in order for the other Studios to play catch up and copy!!
I enjoyed Tell No One, but with the remake Affleck has the opportunity to correct the French film’s one great failing which was that the actress playing the wife was way too young. People who have seen the film understand what I am talking about.
Oh My God! I am so excited by this news. I loved the french film TELL NO ONE when it reached to the U.S. Ben Affleck may turn this into a tense filled Hollywood version. I vote that he hires Rebecca Hall as the wife. Way, way cool…,
Canet’s film was much better than Coben’s book. They were, IMO, a brilliant film and a pretty good book.
I have no doubt Affleck can make the movie better than the novel but I doubt it will be better than Canet’s flick. And I will see it regardless.
Someone up there mentioned The Woods. Yes, I agree, it was one of Coben’s best.
It’s about time someone is doing a Coben book to a movie in the USA.
Someone should take the Myron Bolitar series and do something with that
This is still my favorite of Coben’s books, and I can’t wait to see what Affleck’s going to do with it. I’ve been saying for years that the man’s a genius film maker. He just flat understands story like only the elite few in hollywood truly do. And since coben’s books create suspence not through characters, but through the storyline, I think Ben could knock this one out of the park.
That French film is pretty good.
The character and speech pattern of the Boston area rang true in The Town. This is where Mr. Affleck’s forte lies.
Why bother to remake this when the French original was so perfect (and got a decent release in the U.S.)?
A remake huh ? And here we go again with the everlasting “Oh the original movie was sooooo good so when they approached me to direct i said no first but the scenario was terrific, it’ll give me the chance to show this amazing story to a larger audience”
That bullshite worked so well to make us believe that “Let Me In” and “Dragon Tattoo” were worth viewing, it’ll do for this one too ! God help us, we’re just sheeps !
Wow…could we have at least gotten a spoiler alert? Definitely merked me on that one my friend.