There is nothing Hollywood execs like more than a sure thing, and as far as novelists go, Nicholas Sparks is a pretty secure bet. Movies based on his books generally don’t cost all that much to produce, bring out a dedicated audience, make an honest profit and then bring in plenty of ancillary coin. Easy breezy. And while “The Notebook,” “Dear John” and “The Last Song” top the adaptations so far by gross, it’s actually Warner Bros. who land in the bottom three slots with the less memorable “Message In A Bottle,” “Nights In Rodanthe” and “A Walk To Remember” to their name. But by God, they are going to give it another shot.
The studio has hired J. Mills Goodloe (“Pride“) to adapt “The Best Of Me” and holy fucking shit it sounds like every other one of his novels. But in case you must know, the story centers on two former high school sweethearts, from opposite sides of the track, who after 25 years, are brought back to their hometown of Oriental, North Carolina (note to the studio: change that) for the funeral of a local mentor. Will they rekindle that flame once again? Can they find the passion in each other they don’t have in their lives? Why are we even asking?
The Sparks train continues to run hard with the Zac Efron-starring “The Lucky One” opening next month, and Relativity gearing up “Safe Haven” with Keira Knightley (of all people) looking to star. So lots of Sparks coming your way in the years to come… [Deadline]
