Welcome to Marwen (2018)

[Walts Ghost]

Robert Zemeckis to Direct Adaptation of Documentary MARWENCOL

Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis made a much-welcomed return to the world of live-action last year with Flight, and it appears that the director has now settled on his follow-up project. Heat Vision reports that Zemeckis is developing a feature film adaptation of director Jeff Malmberg’s 2010 documentary Marwencol for Universal as his next picture. The doc tells the story of Mark Hogancamp, a man who was assaulted by five teens and sent into a nine-day coma. When he awoke, he had no memory of his life, family, or friends. In an effort to cope with the trauma, he began building a 1/6 scale model of a WWII-era Belgian village in his backyard. The figures were made in the image of him, his friends, and surprisingly his attackers, and “allowed him to escape into a fantasy world in which he creates his various scenarios with the dolls.”

Per Heat Vision, Universal drama will move between fantasy and reality, which one assumes was a big draw for the technologically ambitious Zemeckis. The film certainly has major potential for a strong lead performance and fascinating visuals, so Zemeckis seems like a swell fit. Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas scribe Caroline Thompson will pen the screenplay, which bodes well for the film’s fantastical aspects. Zemeckis has been developing a number of different projects over the past couple of years, including Major Matt Mason with Tom Hanks. Most recently, the Forrest Gump helmer entered talks to direct an adaptation of the YA series Chaos Walking, which was scripted by Charlie Kaufman. According to this new report, though, Marwencol will be the director’s next film.

Marwencol - Official Trailer 2010 HD - YouTube

Source

[Foggy]

I'm forever in debt for Squidpuppet for recommending this documentary to me...and now Zemeckis wants to take that all away?

[onetet]

Marwencol was great. Skeptical about any narrative adaptation of it, although it's interesting that they would attempt it.

For some reason this brings to mind Robert Altman's planned but never realized adaptation of (the much easier to adapt, IMO) Hands on a Hard Body.

[Buscemi]

I imagine a narrative would focus on three acts: the conception, the creation and the reaction. It shouldn't be too hard to adapt this one to the screen.

Now if you want a documentary that would be hard to adapt in a narrative form, try Shoah.

[Foggy]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/node/1010910

Janelle Monae and Leslie Mann are also set to star in the untitled project.

Robert Zemeckis' real-life drama has found a villain in German actor Falk Hentschel.

The untitled Universal project is based on Jeff Malmberg's 2010 doc Marwencol, which followed a man who builds a miniature WWII-era village as a way to recover from a violent assault.

Steve Carell will be starring as artist Mark Hogancamp, who give himself a fictitious alter ego that lives inside the village. Hentschel will play "Hauptsturmsfuhrer Ludwig Topf," the sadistic Nazi captain to a squad of SS Storm Troopers who terrify the people of Belgium.

Janelle Monae, Leslie Mann and Eiza González also star.

Zemeckis co-wrote the screenplay with Caroline Thompson and will produce via his Uni-based ImageMovers, along with Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, as well as Cherylanne Martin. Malmberg and Jeckie Levine will exec produce. Maradith Frenkel and Chloe Yellin will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.

Hentschel is known for playing Hawkman in Greg Berlanti's DC superhero CW shows, including The Flash and Arrow. The German actor's feature credits include White House Down and Transcendence.

[lesco]

I'm guessing that Zemeckis is going to have scenes that project his character into the model village that he's making, I think that sort of creative approach is the only thing that's going to differentiate it from the documentary, which is already a great film that tells the whole story very effectively.

[Cremildo]

Diane Kruger joins the cast.

[Cremildo]

Apparently, the title has been changed to The Women Of Marwen.

[aiman04]

Zemeckis still directing?

[Cremildo]

Yes. Shooting began in August.

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Apparently, the title has been changed to The Women Of Marwen.

It that a working title? It doesn't sound like the movie they're making or they're totally changing the story?

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Apparently, the title has been changed to The Women Of Marwen.

[aiman04]

Maybe that title is more PC.

[Cremildo]

**** IMDb.

This project remains untitled.

[BluLamp]

Looking forward to this, regardless of what they end up calling it. Story is interesting, Kruger is great, and Zemeckis usually is too. I really enjoyed Allies last year.

[Cremildo]

[Cremildo]

Apparently, the title is Welcome to Marwen.

[aiman04]

Can’t believe after almost five years we’re still on page one.

[Hoke Moseley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6dy...ature=youtu.be

[CelluloidPal]

I'm gonna have to watch that original doc again because it looks like they're taking some major liberties with a story that intriguing and interesting on its own to start with.
Same problem I had with Masterminds. The Wells Fargo heist was already comical and entertaining by itself but the movie essentially dumbed it down.