After previous plans to shoot an adaptation of James Sallis’ “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling were sidelined for the modern-Western “Only God Forgives,” we had expressed slight concern for the fate of the neo-noir, considering Nicholas Winding Refn’s recent history of dropping projects at the first sign of schedule clutter.
Rest assured though, “Drive” is still very much in the works with Affinity International evidently offering the project to prospective buyers at this year’s Cannes, led by president Brian O’Shea and producers Marc Platt, OddLot Entertainment’s Gigi Priztek and Bold Film’s Michel Litvak.
Sallis’ neo-noir novel follows the story of a loner Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver and lands in hot water when he helps the ex-con boyfriend of his beautiful neighbor. While the plot is admittedly a little light, a collaboration between the über-talented pair of Winding Refn and Gosling will surely deliver in many ways in spite of that.
Producer Platt is already pre-emptively selling the film as a character-driven tale, describing it as “a muscular movie that hearkens back to the days of “Bullitt” and “The French Connection” – movies where the characters were as real as the action. With Nicolas Winding Refn, the world’s most visceral director at the helm, and Ryan Gosling in the leading role, we will achieve what many movies try for, but few manage: an authentic, thrilling action film with a real character at the centre.”
Winding Refn dropped promising projects like the Harrison Ford-led “The Dying Of The Light” and “Jekyll” starring Keanu Reeves for this adaptation which we think is indicative of its potential — we’re already rubbing our hands in anticipation. In the meantime, the director will be shooting his Bangkok-set modern Western “Only God Forgives” this summer, while his atmospheric Viking story, “Valhalla Rising,” is slated for release stateside sometime in July.