|
Memoirs
of a geisha
|
Movie
| Book
| Author
| Director
& cast
|
Book: Memoirs of a Geisha (1997)
Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005?)
Premise
movie:
"Steven Spielberg spent years developing
Arthur Golden's famed novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" for a big-screen
adaptation, but pulled out of the project (much to many a fans'
disappointment) after a protracted period. Spielberg completed a
good deal of preliminary work on the film back in 2000-2001,
allegedly even to the extent of scouting locations and early casting.
The historical drama could have proved to be right up Spielberg's
alley with its epic, yet intimate look at a young geisha in Japan
before World War II (think of his sensitive portrayals of women
throughout his works, coupled with the visual majesty of "Empire of
the Sun.") Alas, it's never to be.
After Spielberg left the project as director, Spike Jonze
("Adaptation") was briefly signed on to take over, but eventually
passed as well. At this writing, Rob Marshall, hot off of his Oscar-winning
debut "Chicago," may now be the man to finally bring "Memoirs of a
Geisha" to the screen. Marshall's signing on to the project has not been without difficulty
however, which seems to makes sense, as nothing seems to come
together easily when it comes to "Memoirs of a Geisha." Marshall,
desperate to helm the film, had to wrangle with Miramax to be freed
from a contract with their studio in order to shoot for a competing
studio (in this case, Sony). After some presumed legal and
contractual wrangling, Marshall is now officially onboard.
For the project to acquire Marshall, however, Miramax leveraged
their way onto the show, which is now a
Sony/DreamWorks/Miramax co-release of an Amblin Entertainment production. Steven Spielberg
remains on the project, serving as executive-producer.
New to the project, along with Marshall, is screenwriter Robin
Swicord (writer of the potential upcoming Spielberg film "The
Rivals") who came on to draft an entirely new screenplay after
Ronald Bass (who Spielberg worked with extensively on "Rain Man")
and Akiva Goldsmith ("A Time to Kill") both worked on the project.
If all goes as planned, Marshall may indeed finally break the back
of "Memoirs of a Geisha" and begin shooting in Japan in 2004 for a
2005 release.
from:
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id
=1808405114
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Premise
book:
"A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this
brilliant debut novel tells with seamless authenticity and exquisite
lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated
geisha. Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once
haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of
her life as a geisha. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929,
when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is
taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha
house. We witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous
arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup,
and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist;
competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money
that goes with it. In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are
paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest
bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men;
and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant
work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely
unforgettable."
from:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl
?0-679-78158-7
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Author:
Arthur Golden was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was
educated at Harvard College, where he received a degree in art
history, specializing in Japanese art. In 1980 he earned an M.A. in
Japanese history from Columbia University, where he also learned
Mandarin Chinese. Following a summer at Beijing University, he
worked in Tokyo, and, after returning to the United States, earned
an M.A. in English from Boston University. He resides in Brookline,
Massachusetts, with his wife and two children."
from:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/index.cfm?page=
author&authorID=242
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Director:
Steven Spielberg
Cast:
When Steven Spielberg was attached to direct there were reports that he was planning to cast: Rika Okamota (as Nitta Sayuri), Maggie Cheung (as Mahema), and Julyana Soelistyo. It's still certainly possible those actresses might still be involved, but a whole new casting process is expected (which may still lead to them).
from:
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id
=1808405114
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|
