Stories by @captainwhaddock

Kenneth Branagh's Macbeth (2000)

In 2000 Branagh projected with Intermedia to produce Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, and As You Like It. But, as Mark Thornton Burnett puts it, “ as a result of Love’s Labour’s Lost’s performance, Macbeth, at one time slated as being the next film in Branagh’s trilogy, was put on hold, although one might also suggest that the concept of a ‘Scottish play’ set in the corridors of a ‘media empire’ on ‘Wall Street’ had already been sapped and superseded by Michael Almereyda’s deployment of a similarly global locale and idea in Hamlet (2000).”

Orson Welles' The Tempest

Orson Welles had considered making a film version of William Shakespeare's The Tempest in the 50s and around the same time as he was filming his 1966 movie Chimes at Midnight, which was an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry IV. He never got round to it do to schedualing issues but what if he "had" made it and we'de gotten a film version of this play from one of histories greatest film directors, in the 50s or 60s?

Edward VI

Edward VI, the only legitimate male heir of King Henry VIII, took his seat on the throne at the age of nine. His life would come to an end when he was only fifteen years old, but the mark he would come to leave on England’s history has endured to this day. This part of the Tudor period was chock-full of social unrest and economic struggles as well as turmoil over religious reforms, which the young king and his advisors often made worse by imposing substantial changes on their subjects. Edward VI led his country into a new age where the Church of England was no longer tied to the Catholic Church. Putting his efforts into spreading Protestantism throughout all of England, he continued his father’s work of freeing England from the Holy Roman Empire’s grasp. His successor and half-sister, Queen Mary I, better known as “Bloody Mary,” would try to undo many of Edward’s reforms, but the English Reformation to which Edward contributed significantly would resume its course upon her death.

Robin Hood: King of Thieves (1994)

1199, Richard: The Lion Heart is dead, and in his place, the villainess King John has risen to the throne of England. He then sets about ridding his kingdom of all roughs and thieves, including the aponymous Robin Hood, who has been crowned “King of Thieves”. Robin, Martin and the Merry Men are driven out of England and into France, but not before Robin and Marian’s son “Roland” is taken by the English army. Once they are in France, it is clear that (being English) they are not welcome and are now being hunted down by the soldiers of King Philip II. King John decides to adopt Roland as his own son and teach him to be a royal assassin, just to cause emotional torment to Robin Hood. Robin and the Merry Men must now convince King Philip II to help them reclaim their home and save their son from King John, before he has them all executed, and Roland becomes a pawn of the English Throne.

The Enterprise

There has never been a movie about the Iran-Contra Affair, which is surprising but understandable. Even if you take away all the complicated details, this would be a very controversial movie to sell, as Ronald Reagan is a very beloved figure among conservatives, and if they made a movie about all the terrible things he did, then it would inevitably be boycotted by far-right groups. But I think it is still worth a try just to say that they did it.

Thatcher

This is an idea I have for a Second Margaret Thatcher Biopic that goes into more detail about her life and career than 2012's Iron Lady did. This wouldn't be a cheap production like the 2012 movie; this would be a big-budget period drama like Malcom X and Gandhi. This provides more detail about Thatcher and her era as Prime Minister, including the Miners' Strikes, the IRA bombings, the Poll Tax, and her relationship with Ronald Ragon. It also touches on aspects that were left out of The Iron Lady, such as her relationships with her children, Mark and Carol, and what it was like to be a teenager during the Thatcher Era. It also focuses more on her Cabinet Members than Thatcher herself in the same way as stuff like Hamilton and Jesus Christ Superstar does, So over all, this would be a more honest portail of Thatcher that doesn't shy away from all the ugly details and shows her how she actually was.

Sony Picture Animation's Lucky Luke

This is my ideal cast for a western "not pun intended" movie adaptation of the Maurice De Bevere aka Morris, and René Goscinny, comic series "Lucky Luke". This would be animated in Autodesk Maya for 3D animation and Blender for aspects like modelling and the "grease pencil" effect, as seen in the Spider-Verse movies. Like how the Spider-Verse movies were made to look and feel like a comic book come to life, this film would bring Maurice De Bevere's original art style to life in the same way, along with the great René Goscinny's comedy and writing style.

Ken Russell's The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous 'ghost' of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is in love, but it can only spell disaster. (Note: I'm aware that Ken Russell directed the music video The Phantom of the Opera Musical, so please don't point that out)

The Who's Tommy

This is my idea cast for a remake of the 1975 Ken Russell moive based on the album by the Who.

David Cronenberg's Frankenstein

Not much is known about this project, except that it was proposed to David Cronenberg after he made The Fly in 1986 by producer Pierre David, who also produced Cronenberg's film "The Brood". It's surprising that this didn't happen, considering it is such an ideal match. While Mary Shelly's book isn't very body horror, the idea of creating a monster out of other people’s body parts is the basis of body horror. We know that Cronenberg wanted to stay closer to Shelley's version of the monster by making him a lot smarter and more sympathetic, like in the Bride of Frankenstein, so clearly, he wanted to do a more book-accurate film version of the tale. I'm fairly certain it would be set in the early 1800s, like the book was, and it would be interesting to see what Cronenberg would do with a period piece, as he has never done one other than Lunch, which was set in 1953. I imagine his version would be like a mix of the 1993 TV movie Frankenstein and Junji Ito's manga version of Frankenstein, with some influences from the Curse of Frankenstein (1957).

Evita Reboot

The 1976 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice concept album is 48 years old, the stage musical is 46 years old, and the Alan Parker-directed, Madonna-starring movie is 28 years old. So I think it's time to reintroduce audiences to the story and music of Evita.

Kenneth Grahame's Wind In The Willows

I've been a lifelong fan of this story, and I've been planning my own perfect adaptation for well over ten years now. I want this to be fully animated, preferably in 2D animation, while still maintaining the style of the book. This would be much closer to the book than other versions and feature the Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Famous Literary Detectives

If these Famous Fictional Detectives ever get another chance on screen with whole new interpretations, then "these" are people they should choose.

BBC's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

This is a cast list for a mini-series adaptation of Mary Shelly's 1818 novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" I would like to write when I'm older.

Classic Monsters of Literature

These are casting choices of Iconic Monsters from literature, if their books ever get another adaptation that his more faithful to the books they're based on. All these monsters have had hundreds of adaptations but if they ever try another one, then we know who to pick.

Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

This is my idea for a modern film adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, which is more faithful to the original novel and significantly darker and grittier than the Disney version. This wouldn't be a fairy tale; this would be a more grounded, serious approach to the Victor Huge novel that is closer to the author's original intentions. Think a more modern version of the older films with Lon Chaney or Charles Laughton, and with a much more gothic art style like Ken Russell's The Devils or Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight.