It often seems there’s something in the air and suddenly everyone wants to do the same thing, such as rival Truman Capote biopics a couple of year ago or Bryan Singer’s Harvey Milk biopic disappearing when Gus Van Sant’s went into production. At the moment there are three looks at the life of John Delorean in the works, with each knowing that the first to go before the cameras is the only one likely to actually get made.
The one that seems most likely at the moment is the version being produced by Time Inc. Studios and XYZ Films, who’ve just signed Alex Holmes to direct the movie. Holmes has previously mainly worked as a producer on the likes of The Other Boleyn Girl, while directing on TV with episodes of House Of Saddam and Dunkirk.
Delorean is famed for setting up a car company and producing a gull winged, stainless steel car (which became legendary as the time machine in Back To The Future). He then got accused of drug trafficking in order to try and prop up the money-losing business (he was aquitted due to claims he was entrapped), before the company went bust and he disappeared off into disgrace.
Holmes says he envisions the film as a crime thriller with a tragic hero at its heart.
We’re tipping this one as the DeLorean biopic to get made, as not only does it have access to Time Inc’s vast back catalogue of articles from magazines such as Time and Fortune, but it’s also getting co-operation from Delorean’s former business parter, Fred Dellis, and his son Zachary, who’s given filmmakers access to an unpublished memoir by the man himself. The main rival biopic is one that’s due to be helmed by Brett Ratner.
The race is on.