Comanche (Michael Mann)

[Cremildo]

Stopping in Paris for the Lumière de Lyon Film Festival, the director spoke with Liberation and revealed he’s got an intriguing sounding western on his desk. It’s a film that’s based on the true story of Cynthia Parker, who was kidnapped at the age of 10 by a Comanche war band, and lived most of her adult life with them, learning their language and culture. She was eventually “rescued” at the age of 34, but wasn’t able to adjust to western society, and was devastated about losing her Comanche family.

“….there is this other idea that I was offered to do, which is called ‘Comanche.’ The action takes place in 1871,” Mann said (via Google Translate). “It is a very ambitious [story] that follows four characters whose trajectories will gradually converge… In fact, it’s the same story as John Ford‘s ‘The Searchers,’ except that film took a lot of very problematic freedoms. Cynthia Parker had nothing to do with the character who was inspired [the one played by] Natalie Wood. She was a wealthy wife and mother of five, in her forties, who did not speak English, ripped from her family to be assimilated by whites. She tried to escape several times, before committing suicide.”

Mann told AFP he has Hugh Jackman attached to the project. Source.