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News
Robert Redford Taking A Walk in the Woods
Adaptation of Bill Bryson's '98 classic is back on.
by Jeff Giles | January 30, 2008
Discuss Article
The best remedy for critical drubbings and box-office indifference -- at least for Robert Redford, whose Lions for Lambs endured both in the final weeks of 2007 -- just might be A Walk in the Woods.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Redford's on-again, off-again adaptation of the 1998 Bill Bryson travelogue is on again, this time with Barry Levinson attached to direct. Redford will produce and star as Bryson. At one point, it seemed as though Paul Newman was likely to co-star, but this is apparently no longer the case.

The bestselling book chronicles -- in typically droll fashion -- Bryson's attempts to hike the Appalachian Trail with a friend. (We don't want to spoil the ending for you, but the trail is 2,100 miles long, and neither Bryson nor his hiking companion were young men at the time of their trip.)

Settling on a script now becomes the issue for Redford, who is no stranger to the pitfalls of literary adaptations; he spent years in an ultimately ill-fated attempt to bring Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to the screen. The writers' strike is slowing things down, of course, and according to the Reporter, Redford could first end up filming "an untitled Jackie Robinson project" that would find him starring as Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Comments (1-10 of 10 posts) | Reply
rt_hire_me
rt_hire_me writes:
on Jan 30 2008 08:13 AM

Great news, great author, and I think Redford would do a great job adapting it (I liked River Runs Through It) but does he have to star in it? Bryson's not that... wrinkled (sorry Mr. Redford).

If you see an image of Bryson, he looks a lot like Michael Moore, who is a pretty good actor. Bryson travels a lot, sure, but he's not like one of those rugged granola athletic hikers. I think Moore huffing and puffing up and down the Appalachians wise cracking and putting wildlife on the spot with baited questions would make a fine adaptation.


(Reply to this)
Weicher
Weicher writes:
on Jan 30 2008 08:38 AM

Who cares? The only really good film directed by Redford is Quiz Show. The rest... puagh.

(Reply to this)
dahluzz
dahluzz writes:
on Jan 30 2008 09:38 AM

In reply to this comment (#1540655)
thanks for the opinion, but it said redford was starring and producing, not directing, so unfortunately it's irrelevant.

(Reply to this)
Weicher
Weicher writes:
on Jan 30 2008 10:14 AM

Yeah, but he may direct it.

(Reply to this)
dahluzz
dahluzz writes:
on Jan 30 2008 10:24 AM

In reply to this comment (#1540795)
did you miss the part where it said barry levinson was directing? i'm confused how we could even be arguing about this as it's written just above...

(Reply to this)
renodc
renodc writes:
on Jan 30 2008 10:48 AM

As long as while they're Walking through the Woods, they don't talk about politics I will be happy.

(Reply to this)
Weicher
Weicher writes:
on Jan 30 2008 10:54 AM

Mm... Barry Levinson was attached to direct in 1998, not now.

(Reply to this)
mac1165
mac1165 writes:
on Jan 30 2008 11:20 AM

In reply to this comment (#1540655)
A River Runs Through It, Ordinary People, and The Horse Whisperer were superior movies as well.

(Reply to this)
dahluzz
dahluzz writes:
on Jan 30 2008 12:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#1540827)
damnit, why are you making me do this:

"According to The Hollywood Reporter, Redford's on-again, off-again adaptation of the 1998 Bill Bryson travelogue is on again, this time with Barry Levinson attached to direct."

the Bill Bryson travelogue was from 1998, the levinson news is from today. i hope this would be the nail in the coffin. jeze.


(Reply to this)
alsanali
alsanali writes:
on Jan 30 2008 05:33 PM

Redford is really into titles with alliteration these days, huh?

(Reply to this)
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