While the A-list star mulls over teaming up with Clint Eastwood to play J. Edgar Hoover, Oliver Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio are reportedly set to team for an adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s “The Deep Blue Good-By,” the first mystery novel in a series which is hoped to develop franchise potential over at Fox.
“Travis McGee,” as it is being called, centers on the titular Florida-based “salvage consultant,” a beach bum who specializes in recovering client’s otherwise forever lost property in return for half the property’s value as a fee — his first case finds him reluctantly in search of a treasure hidden by a soldier after World War II.
The novel was first published in 1964 with the counterculture at the time evidently a key element to the tale. McGee own growth along with the society’s against the cultural backdrop is explored all the way through to the Reagan era of the ’80’s in MacDonald’s 21 book series. It remains to be seen if the character — which sounds like a mix of gumshoe Phillip Marlowe and Indiana Jones — will appeal to audiences or sail right over their heads. But dunno, the idea of an Elliott Gould-like lackadaisical getting mixed up in adventures out of his reach seems pretty interesting. But as directed by Oliver Stone? Hmm…
DiCaprio’s shingle Appian Way is producing the Dana Stevens And Kario Salem-penned project which looks like a potential follow-up to Stone’s drug cartel thriller, “Savages.”
