It might be time for more F. Scott Fitzgerald. While Benjamin Button didn't allow fans to revel in the author's literary mind very much, this new brew should change that. According to Pajiba, 20th Century Fox is prepping a new adaptation of Tender is the Night, which was last tackled in 1962 by Jennifer Jones and Jason Robards. David Nicholls (And When Did You Last See Your Father?) is said to have written the script, and the actors who have been offered (but haven't agreed to) the lead parts -- Matt Damon and Keira Knightley.Tender follows an American couple living in the French Riviera in the 1920s. Dick is a doctor and psychoanalyst, and Nicole is his wealthy patient and partner (a story surely fueled at least in part by Fitzgerald's struggles with Zelda and her schizophrenia). It would be a treat to see Damon in the gig, but his schedule is so packed that his casting might just be a pipe dream. As for Knightley, chances are that she'd accept the role if scheduling worked out. While she's a nut for period pieces, she seems specifically drawn to literary themes set around the second World War -- the fictional Atonement was quickly followed by the reality-based Dylan Thomas feature The Edge of Love a few years ago -- and Tender takes place not too much earlier.
And if you follow the old, masculine pens of that time, it's easy to wonder if this project will finally spark the release of Ernest Hemingway's own drama of romantic dysfunction set on the French Riviera in the '20s -- The Garden of Eden. (A NSFW trailer for the 2008 film, that shows some skin, can be seen here.)
Are Knightley and Damon the right pair? Who would you cast in Tender is the Night?
Filed under: Drama, Casting, RumorMonger, Scripts, Remakes and Sequels
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