The Rum Diary (film)
| The Rum Diary | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bruce Robinson |
| Written by | Bruce Robinson |
| Produced by | Johnny Depp Graham King Christi Dembrowski Anthony Rhulen Robert Kravis |
| Starring | Johnny Depp Amber Heard Aaron Eckhart Giovanni Ribisi Richard Jenkins Bill Smitrovich Julian Holloway |
| Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
| Edited by | Matt Chesse |
| Music by | Christopher Young |
Production companies | Infinitum Nihil GK Films |
Release date | October 28, 2011 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $65 million |
The Rum Diary is an upcoming film based on the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. The film is directed by Bruce Robinson and stars Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Filming began in Puerto Rico in March 2010. It is currently set to be released on October 28, 2011.[1]
Premise
Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is an itinerant journalist who tires of New York and America under the Eisenhower administration and travels to Puerto Rico to write for The San Juan Star. Kemp begins the habit of drinking rum and becomes obsessed with the woman Chenault (Amber Heard).[2]
Cast
- Johnny Depp as Paul Kemp (journalist for The San Juan Star)[2]
- Amber Heard as Chenault[2]
- Aaron Eckhart as Sanderson (businessman)[2]
- Giovanni Ribisi as Moburg[2]
- Richard Jenkins as Lotterman, (editor of The San Juan Star)[2]
- Bill Smitrovich as Zimburger[2]
- Michael Rispoli as Bob Salas[3]
- Julian Holloway as Wolsey[2]
- Amaury Nolasco as Segarra[2]
- Marshall Bell as Donovan[2]
- Karen Austin as Mrs. Zimburger
- Jason Smith as Davey
Production
Hunter S. Thompson wrote the novel The Rum Diary in 1959, but the novel was not published until 1998.[4] The independent production companies Shooting Gallery and SPi Films sought to adapt the novel into a film in 2000, and actor Johnny Depp was signed to star and to serve as executive producer. Nick Nolte was also signed to star alongside Depp.[5] The project did not move past the development stage.[4] During this stage, Hunter S. Thompson became so frustrated as to fire off an obscenity-laden letter calling the process a "waterhead fuckaround".[6]
In 2002, a new producer sought the project, and Benicio del Toro and Josh Hartnett were signed to star in the film adaptation.[5] The second incarnation also did not move past the development stage.[4] In 2007, producer Graham King acquired all rights to the novel and sought to film the adaptation under Warner Independent Pictures.[5] Depp, who previously starred in the 1998 film adaptation of Thompson's novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was cast as the freelance journalist Paul Kemp.[4] Amber Heard is reported to have won the role out over Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley. Bruce Robinson joined to write the screenplay and to direct The Rum Diary.[5] In 2009, Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil took on the project with the financial backing of King and his production company GK Films. Principal photography began in Puerto Rico on March 25, 2009.[2] Composer Christopher Young has signed on to compose the film's soundtrack.[7]
The alcoholic Robinson had been sober for six-and-a-half years before he started writing the screenplay for The Rum Diary.[8] The filmmaker found himself suffering from writer's block. He started drinking again, a bottle of alcohol a day until he finished the script and then he quit drinking again. He spent a year filming in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Hollywood and resisted drinking until they arrived in Fajardo. Robinson remembers, "It was 100 degrees at two in the morning and very humid. Everyone's drenched in sweat. One of the prop guys goes by with a barrow-load of ice and Coronas. I said: 'Johnny, this doesn't mean anything.' And reached for a Corona." ... Some savage drinking took place. When I was no longer in Johnny's environment I went back to sobriety."[8]
Differences between Film and Book
The most noticeable difference between Thompson's novel and the film adaptation is the absence of the character Yeamon in the film version. Yeamon was originally to be played by Josh Hartnett. However, according to Dr Thompson's close family the character of Yeamon was added to the book late in the writing process, and Dr Thompson wanted the film to follow his original vision of the storyline pre-Yeamon.
See also
- Hunter S. Thompson's letter to Holly Sorensen, the Production Executive of The Shooting Gallery
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (film)
- Where the Buffalo Roam
References
- ^ "GK Films and Infinitum Nihil's The Rum Diary Lands at Filmdistrict". Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The Rum Diary Now Filming". IGN. April 2, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ Dodd, Stacy (April 1, 2009). "Michael Rispoli joins 'Rum Diary'". Variety.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Tilly, Chris (December 2007). "Depp opens 'Rum Diary'". Time Out. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c d Goldstein, Gregg (July 30, 2007). "Depp toasts Hunter S. Thompson with 'Rum Diary'". Reuters.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/09/okay-you-lazy-bitch.html
- ^ "Christopher Young to score The Rum Diary". MovieScore magazine. October 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ a b Chalmers, Robert (February 20, 2011). "Bruce Robinson: "I started drinking again because of The Rum Diary"". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
