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Columbia developing Barry Sonnenfeld's Tom Swift movie
Columbia Pictures has nabbed Swift, a pitch by Barry Sonnenfeld and Ben David Grabinski, which is described as a re-imagining of the boys' sci-fi Tom Swift adventure novels, Variety reported.
The project is being developed as a Sonnenfeld directing vehicle.
The Tom Swift character first appeared in a series of books that launched in 1910. The original books were outlined by Edward Stratemeyer, written by ghostwriters and credited to pseudonym Victor Appleton.
Sonnenfeld and Grabinski's version would feature Swift as one half of a father-son team who are among the greatest inventors of all time.
Albie Hecht (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), who had been developing a Swift project of his own, will produce the project alongside Sonnenfeld.
By Gill Avila at 2:34 AM ON 06/01/09
OMFG!! How can they re-imagine something no-one's ever done before?? I'll bet they haven't read ANY of the original novels, or the Tom Swift jr books I read as a kid.
By Bluesman at 2:43 AM ON 06/01/09
My memory may be spotty on this, but I think Johnny Quest was loosely based on the Tom Swift books.
By Dead Boy at 4:30 AM ON 06/01/09
Tom Swift? As in Tomas A. Swift? Hell, believe it or not, EVERYBODY had heard of this sci-fi icon, whether they know it or not.
Ever heard of a little thing called a Taser? The weapon's name is really an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle". Hand to God, that's what it really stands for.
I'm kind of curious to see what the new movies look like given that the source material is a century old.
By PALADIN at 7:01 AM ON 06/01/09
I have read the original Tom Swift and the Tom Swift Jr. books ( as a kid, and then later on just out of nostalgia....The original 1910 series is a charming 'look back' at the period they were written) ....
This movie will like as not be sort of 'Harry Potter-With-A-Screwdriver-In-His-Hand-Instead-Of-A-Wand', but I`m interested. The Swift books were the best of the adventure series aimed at kids back in those days.
Also; I still have faith in Sonnenfeld , despite what he did to 'The Wild Wild West'.
By R.J. Bowman at 12:29 PM ON 06/01/09
There was an actual planned Tom Swift film that stalled early in production in the 1960's. Somewhere on the web there is a still photo of a model dirigible that was to have been used in the filming.
The early Tom Swift books were full of airships, electric rifles, speedboats, and other gadgetry that was considered futuristic at the time; they could be adapted into a really cool steampunk film. But the film these guys are talking about, about a family that runs a "green technology" company, is probably really going to suck, and will probably be the end of any future Tom Swift projects outside of series novels.
By delphinus100 at 2:32 PM ON 07/09/09
"My memory may be spotty on this, but I think Johnny Quest was loosely based on the Tom Swift books."
Actually, Hanna-Barbera wanted to do 'Jack Armstrong,' ('the All-American Boy') but I think there was a problem negotiating the rights (even after some material was created...it may explain some of those scenes in the JQ closing credits [escaping from Watusi on a hovercraft] that never appear in any episode).
So they went with an original character instead...
By delphinus100 at 2:36 PM ON 07/09/09
"The early Tom Swift books were full of airships, electric rifles..."
In fact, TASER is an acronym for "Thomas A Swift's Electric Rifle"
Though no middle initial was ever given for Tom senior or juinior...
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delphinus100:
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