I feel like I really need to dig into the work of author Joe R. Lansdale. His stories have been adapted into some really cool films and TV shows, including BUBBA HO-TEP, COLD IN JULY, Hap and Leonard, the Incident On and Off a Mountain Road Masters of Horror entry, and a segment of the Shudder Creepshow series that was called The Companion. Every time I hear one of his stories described, it sounds very interesting. One of these days I'm just going to have to get around to picking up a Lansdale book.
The latest Lansdale story get an adaptation is THE THICKET (you can pick up a copy of his novel HERE), which is set during "the dark dawn of the East Texas oil boom" at the turn of the 20th century. Elliott Lester will be directing the film from a screenplay by Chris Kelley.
Charlie Plummer will be starring with Sophia Lillis, Peter Dinklage, and Noomi Rapace. The story centers on
an innocent young man named Jack (Plummer) who goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister (Lillis) after she is kidnapped by violent killer “Cut Throat Bill” (Rapace) and her gang. Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Dinklage), a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave, and a street-smart prostitute. The three track the girl into the deadly no-man’s land known as The Big Thicket — a place where blood and chaos reign.
Not all of the roles mentioned in the synopsis have been cast yet, but I'm already fully on board. An Old West thriller that's full of blood and chaos, with Noomi Rapace as a character called Cut Throat Bill and Peter Dinklage as a crafty bounty hunter? I need to see this movie right now! Of course, I can't, because it's only in pre-production.
Dinklage is producing THE THICKET alongside his Estuary Films partner David Ginsberg, Giannia Nunnari of Hollywood Gang, Matt Hookings of Camelot Films, Andre L III of MiLu Entertainment, and Shannon Gaulding.
CAA Media finance and ICM Partners are co-representing the project's domestic distribution rights. The Exchange will be presenting the film's international rights to potential distributors at the upcoming European Film Market.