Luca Guadagnino is a filmmaker that is developing a bit of a name for himself for tackling interesting, unique projects. Coming off an Oscar-winning coming-of-age film, “Call Me By Your Name,” the director transitioned into a hard-R remake of the Dario Argento horror classic “Suspiria.” Now, it appears that Guadagnino is tackling a film based on a Bob Dylan album.
In a New Yorker profile, it is revealed that the acclaimed filmmaker is ready to tackle a feature adaptation of Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks.” The 1975 album is generally regarded as one of Dylan’s finest, and the interpretations of the lyrical content has been greatly debated for decades. All of this leads to a film that could be incredible in the right hands. And joining Guadagnino in the development of the film is definitely a writer up to the task.
The profile revealed that a “Call Me By Your Name” producer approached Guadagnino about the film, but the director would only do it on one condition — if Richard LaGravenese would write the script. The duo of Guadagnino and LaGravenese haven’t previously worked together but the director has always been fond of his work, citing “Beloved” as one of his favorite projects that the writer penned. To the surprise of the director, the New Yorker reports that LaGravenese, who is probably best known for his Academy Award-nominated work on “The Fisher King,” agreed to pen the script.
“Blood on the Tracks” has long been speculated to be an autobiographical work from Dylan, detailing his tumultuous marriage with then-wife Sara Dylan. However, Bob Dylan has always disputed these interpretations and said that he drew from many influences for his album. LaGravenese says his script follows characters through a multiyear journey, set in the ‘70s, that is a fictional creation of he and Guadagnino’s. However, the central themes of the album will play a large role.
“When they’re repressing, we dramatize the repression, and what that does to them,” LaGravenese says. “And we dramatize what happens when you let your passions take over too much.”
No word on when “Blood on the Tracks” will go into production, as Guadagnino has a lot of different projects he’d like to work on in the meantime. But you can add this project as one of the more interesting films he has on his slate.