Every so often you get the feeling that despite having little evidence that it will work, Hollywood decides what they think the next big thing will be, and then studios start to compete on projects designed to fill a niche no one can be certain exists. For example, following Star Trek and with the presumption that Avatar will be huge, endless deep-space set tales have been put into pre-production over the last few months.
Now, following the announcement of the comic-adaptation, Cowboys Vs. Aliens, and with Jonah Hex coming next year, it seems Hollywood is thinking that soon everyone will want an endless stream of big-scale, all-action westerns. At least that seems to be the thinking behind Paramount’s decision to buy Chad St. John’s script, The Further Adventures Of Doc Holliday, with Variety reporting that they’re hoping to turn it into a major tentpole release.
Although they’re not saying what the script is about, it’s being described as a ‘history-based action-adventure in the vein of Pirates Of The Carribbean’ (and presumably featuring legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday). I’m pretty sure that’s the first time anyone has described Pirates Of The Caribbean as being history based!
We’d imagine the film will skate over the fact Holliday was a tuberculosis ridden alcholic, although hopefully they’ll keep the natty moustache (as pictured) and bring that back into fashion – although Holliday’s ‘tache was apparently so enormous to cover up a scar left from a operation to repair a cleft palate.
Doc’s been played on screen many times before due to his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but this appears to be taking the historical figure in a far more fantastical direction.