The White Hotel
(updated corrections below)
The White Hotel to be Adapted
According to Variety,
Susan Stewart Potter and writer-director Simon Monjack have collected $20
million to get the D.M. Thomas' acclaimed novel The White Hotel
into production.
After a whopping twenty-five years, the film has finally got a start date:
October 23rd.
Thomas' surreal drama, published in 1981, revolves around an opera singer
who seeks out the services of Sigmund Freud in post-WWI Vienna. Haunted
by hallucinatory dreams about a white hotel, she becomes Freud's famous
case study Anna G. Together, they unlock the key to figuring out both her
memories and premonitions of the future, which include the Holocaust.
Though Potter and Monjack are relatively unknown, throughout its many incarnations,
White Hotel has captured the interest of directors including Bernardo
Bertolucci, David Lynch, Hector Babenco, Terrence Malick, Pedro Almodovar,
David Cronenberg and Emir Kusturica.
Two years ago, Potter brokered a deal between Golden and Thomas to allow
her to purchase the film rights. Last summer, she brought on the prolific
but obscure Philippe Mora to direct. He fell off the project, but was quickly
replaced by Monjack two months ago.
The White Hotel is expected to film in Prague, Milan and Latvia.
For a bit of fun, 'Milan' is my middle name. Coincidence? Probably, yes.
UPDATE: It turns out that some of the info supplied by Variety was erroneous. Susan Stewart Potter contacted us direct with the following corrections:
Variety made a grievous error... attributing the script for this project
to the director only. In truth, Susan Stewart Potter is the
writer-producer... the script having been penned by Susan Stewart Potter & Simon Monjack.
The real story behind this long-awaited, often stalled or shut down
project is actually quite simple. There were two scurrilous producers,
John Roberdeau and Robert Geisler, who lost the rights early on, but who
continued -- under a straw company -- to attach directors and stars to
the project. Bertolucci was ready to roll camera when the rightful
owner of the motion picture rights got wind of the production and shut
it down -- with a court order. Kusterica, Cronenberg, and others all
fell under this ax.
I came along at the right time... just as the rights were becoming
legally clear and free... and did a deal with the atty, who held the rights.
Anyway, lots of excitement now that this picture is a go. Thanks for
putting it up. Would love the correction re: the authorship of the
script, however. If not now, in future, should you write about this
project/film.
Thanks for the update Susan!
Stay tuned for updates.
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