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Imagine the Hardy Boys as grown men? This new film does
Screenwriter Ed Solomon (Imagine That) told reporters that his upcoming project, The Hardy Men, will take a new look at the characters in the iconic Hardy Boys series of mystery novels.
"To me, it's really about these guys who are middle-aged men who are completely screwed up from having peaked in high school, basically, and have not evolved since then," Solomon said in a group interview Saturday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
SCI FI Wire spoke to Solomon at the press day for Imagine That, starring Eddie Murphy. The following is an edited version of that interview. Imagine That is being released by Paramount Pictures on June 12.
Is Hardy Men still happening?
Solomon: I'm in the middle of that. I've got to go write that, actually, now, today. Some things I write quickly; Hardy Men I have to do pretty quickly.
With Men in Black you were able to create fantastic situations and yet step back and acknowledge them. Is that the kind of approach you're planning to take with The Hardy Men?
Solomon: Yeah, well, the source material for Hardy Men is just the, ... it's not so much the books themselves as what we remember, or what we think we remember from the
Hardy Boys. But, really, ... because it's Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller, who are such really interesting actors, to me, it's really about these guys who are middle-aged men who are completely screwed up from having peaked in high school, basically, and have not evolved since then. They don't speak to each other anymore, live in different places, have disavowed their past, [and] have to come back in and sort of really deal with their own really complicated psyches.
That could run the risk of stepping on toes with that one.
Solomon: Sure, maybe. I mean, hopefully it will just be a lot of fun.
Have you done research on the Hardy Boys?
Solomon: I've read some of the early novels, but I've read cursory research. I haven't done in-depth research. I know that they were initially written in one way, in the '30s, when they were a lot darker, and then they got cleaned up, I think in '59. I would like to read them, but really to me, it's not one of those projects where you're trying to be really true to the original material, because there's so much of it.
It's more about being true to the memory of it, in a way. Also, because we're not writing the Hardy Boys as teenagers, but the Hardy Boys as 40-year-olds, we have a lot of liberty to play with that, I guess.
By Bluesman at 1:06 AM ON 06/02/09
I began reading the Hardy Boys Mysteries in the mid 60's and really enjoyed them. I could totally see them as men in their 40's trying to recapture their glory days. It could be almost like a big screen Simon and Simon. :D
By UnRiel at 10:07 AM ON 06/02/09
They can get Shaun Cassiday and Parker Stevenson to star !!! Maybe Pamela Sue Anderson can make a guest appearance :D
By Methos at 2:19 PM ON 06/02/09
I'd say Shaun Cassiday and Danny Bonaduce just for the train wreck of it all.
By Underdog007 at 9:12 PM ON 06/02/09
This sounds like it could be pretty cool. Someone ought to just make a regular Hardy Boys movie. I'd really like to see an updated Pixar-like Hank the Cowdog movie!!!
By tropic thunder at 11:02 PM ON 06/02/09
sounds pretty good and I like Cruise and Stiller
By Joesketeer at 3:39 AM ON 06/03/09
This is the worst idea for a movie ever. Why would you screw with the Hardy Boys? They're a piece of Americana. Just because you want to believe everyone is as miserable and messed up as you are doesn't mean you should trash beloved childhood characters.
The entire thing is just completely unappealing.
By vanceshaf at 4:26 AM ON 06/03/09
They should bring back the 50's version of Hardy Boys. If they do the adults they would not be screwed up, they would be a Fenton Hardy trained dynamic detective dual
By baliset at 9:23 AM ON 06/03/09
That interview is a snapshot of everything that's wrong with Hollywood. "Yeah, I'll bash this one out overnight, and no, I'm barely familiar with the source material. We'll gut my half formed, barely researched assumption about what the source might have been about, fast forward the characters 20 years and hope that big name stars drive it rather than the story. Oh, and I'm obliviously proud of the fact this is my method, happy to tell you I'm a hack, rather than ashamed that this is the norm."
Sacrilege.
Idiots.
By GrumpyOldMan at 5:36 PM ON 06/03/09
@baliset - Best. Parahprase. Ever!!! After reading your post I went back and re-read the article. You are really dead-on in your assessment, and it is sad to see what could be a solid concept handled by such a lazy writer.
By ??? at 5:33 AM ON 09/03/09
brilliant! i've always wanted to see the hardy boys as 40 year olds, not! Ugh why can't they make a Hardy Boys movie maybe with disney or maybe not. I mean I'm reading the Hardy Boys now and I love the idea of teenage detectives not 40 year olds trying to re-live their glory days. I reckon they should get Joe Jonas as Joe Hardy and David Henrie as Frank Hardy. They would be pretty good for the roles.
By Fan at 6:40 PM ON 01/18/10
This would be a great idea if they could get Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson to revise their old roles. That's the only way this one would be succesful. Anyone other than the original cast, would probably be a dud.
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Fan:
This would be a great idea if they could get Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson to revise their old roles. That's ...More »