THE HUNGER GAMES Team to Take on Homer’s THE ODYSSEY
As Lionsgate is working on an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, and they’ve brought on the team who developed The Hunger Games films to bring one of history’s greatest adventure stories to life. The ancient Greek poem is about a long voyage home after the conclusion of the Trojan War.
Francis Lawrence is set to direct, Peter Craig will write the script, and Nina Jacobson is going to produce. All of them were part of the team that worked on The Hunger Games.
According to Deadline, the studio has put the project onto the fast track of production. They plan to start shooting early next year, right after the filmmakers finish their Mockingjay - Part 2 promotional tour.
The story has been adapted several times by Hollywood in films and TV. Past projects are connected to the story either directly or indirectly. One of my favorite indirect adaptations was Joel and Ethan Coen’s O Brother, Where Are Thou?
The story is packed full of everything a good movie needs. It follows the adventures of the warrior Odysseus and the trials and tribulations he encounters on his decade-long journey home to Greece after the fall of Troy. Along the way he is met with several obstacles such as a Cyclops, a Scylla, a sea monster, and of course, the birdlike sirens.
There’s no information on what the angle for the movie is, but I’m sure it will be targeted to a PG-13 audience.