Movie Based on a Bill Bryson Book

Posted Posted by trav in Book Column, Book Talk, Movies, News     Comments 7 comments
Feb
25

Last week, novelist Richard Russo mentioned that he is working on a screenplay based on Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. This very cool… if Hollywood doesn’t mess it up (I mean c’mon what are the chances of that?). A Walk in the Woods, which logs Bryson’s travels and experiences along the Appalachian Trail, was my first introduction to Bryson and I have now read every book of his except At Home, which is currently sitting about half-way in my TBR pile. So maybe by 2016… at the rate I’m going… anyway…

I did some digging and found out that Robert Redford is slated to play Bryson and *maybe* Nick Nolte as Bryon’s buddy Stephen Katz. Seems this project has been in the works since 2005 and has dragged on so long that no one is really paying attention. I hope they keep moving though. I think Russo could do well with it.

  • Vickie

    Well, I can see Nick Nolte as Stephen, but Redford as Bryson? I don’t think so…. Maybe John C. Reilly would be a better choice.

  • Tjr624

    Redford is too old!

  • mol

    If he was still alive, a John Candy type of guy to me would fit the roll better. 

  • Momza

    I so love this book…spent a camping trip with my husband at Rocky Mountain National Park reading it every night outloud and laughed so hard I  cried!  I heard awhile back that Redford might play Bryson–I think Kevin Costner could do it better. Or Tom Hanks, maybe.  Redford in his 50s would’ve been better..but he’s kinda old.  Anyway, I’d love to see some of my favorite parts on screen.

  • whoareyouwearing

    I always saw David Strathairn as Katz.  Hope they recast.

  • Shawn

    There both to old, but the screen writer might just see that as artistic license. If its challenging and funny for two forty somethings, it would be even more so for sixty somethings. Can’t wait to see it whoever they cast.

  • A-J

    Sorry Redford – I vote for Woody Harrelson-