Are no properties sacred? Just when we thought Hollywood couldn't be any more shameless in their adaptations and remakes of old classics, Universal Pictures has decided to go forward with what sounds to be a re-imagining of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

The idea troubles me, yes, but I got to admit that I like their choice of director.

Moby Dick Remake Coming

Universal Pictures has picked up Timur Bekmambetov to direct the remake of Moby Dick. Bekmambetov is response for films such as Night Watch, Day Watch and Wanted. Those of you familiar with the productions already know that the director has a heightened sense of visual style.

To get a screenplay in the director's hands, the studio has paid high six figures to scribes Adam Cooper and Bill Collage to pen the screenplay. Now this won't be an exact remake such as Psycho, but a complete overhaul. In short, throw in Bekmambetov's visual style with a story that supports it.

Cooper and Collage's version of Moby Dick will take a graphic novel-like approach to the story. Gone is the first-person narration by Ishmael, who observes his captain's overbearing obsession with the white whale. In the updated version, the captain will be more charismatic than obsessed.

"Our vision isn’t your grandfather’s Moby Dick, " Cooper said. "This is an opportunity to take a timeless classic and capitalize on the advances in visual effects to tell what at its core is an action-adventure revenge story."

"We wanted to take a graphic novel sensibility to a classic narrative," said Collage.

If you're offended, I don't blame you. How about just making an entirely different movie involving a big, white whale? Call it Moby...

Source: CanMag