While “The Machinist” has its fans, we’re not too big on the film and other than making Christian Bale lose all kinds of weight, the attention foisted on that film is sort of unfounded. Anyway, for writer Scott Kosar, it made his mark in Hollywood and it looks like he’s ready to make his debut in the director’s chair.
Kosar is set to direct “The Family,” a film about the notorious Manson family with Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood“) to play Charles Manson himself. While there have been a handful of Manson pics already, the subject matter always draws controversy, but speaking with Shock ‘Til You Drop, Kosar, who also wrote the film, reveals what his approach will be and how his film will be the definitive statement on the notorious family members.
“The movie won’t focus on the Manson murders. Nor is it a Manson biopic. It’s a family biopic. A movie about a surrogate family of wayward teenagers who, through extraordinary circumstances, came together and were transformed into the most notorious American family of the 20th century. Hence the title. A very unconventional unit, but a family nonetheless. It is not a horror film, though the subject is inherently horrific. The goal is to do, finally, after forty years, the first authentic film about the so-called Manson Family. Unlike other films on the subject, The Family will also spend time getting to know the victims, particularly Sharon Tate, who will be portrayed very sympathetically. I don’t think a responsible movie can be made about this subject without humanizing the victims, which must be done in order to truly convey – as much as a film is able to – the enormity of the tragedy. This won’t be a slasher film, but it won’t gloss over the violence either. It’s a film about an American taboo that has never been dramatized with any balance or accuracy. Bugliosi-based films accurately deal with the prosecution of “the Family.” My film will concern the family itself. Who they were and what their lives were like with Manson.”
No word yet on when this one will get in front of cameras, but it seems to be on its way. Kosar’s last two credits have been “The Amityville Horror” and “The Crazies” remakes so we hope for something a little more….subtle….this time around. As for Kwanten, we really only know from his role as the dopey Jason Stackhouse on “True Blood,” so it’ll be interesting to seem stretch his wings in some different material; we’re curious how this will turn out.