Sony has long been passionate about bringing its own version of Houdini’s life to the bigscreen. In the late ’90s, the studio had attached Paul Verhoeven to helm a Houdini pic that was said to shed light on the magician’s mysterious life. Revamped project will take a new approach, sources said, though it will be a large-scale period production for Sony emphasizing Houdini’s renowned showmanship. Lawrence directed 2007’s “I Am Legend” for Warner Bros., and his most recent helming effort, “Water for Elephants,” is set to bow April 22 through Fox.
I think the romanticized tale of Houdini is a great story, and to see it in a lavish, large-scale production could be a lot of fun. I love the wonder of “The Prestige,” and that movie’s faults aside (insert Nolan worshippers’ admonishments of me for saying that here), the look and feel of it would really make for a fantastic telling of Houdini’s story. I also find it amazing that no one’s really done a Houdini biopic – It seems an obvious thing to make a go of, doesn’t it?
