Disney does Darwin

[Sir T]

This should be... interesting...

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/charles-darwin-disney-film-adventure-movie-will-give-naturalist-the-indiana-jones-treatment-10343470.html

He is generally remembered as a bearded, balding, rather grandfatherly figure. But Charles Darwin looks set to be given the Indiana Jones treatment after Disney bought the rights to an adventure film based on his life.

The Hollywood production is expected to shine a new light on the Father of Evolution, telling the story of his formative travels before he wrote On the Origin of Species.

Darwin experts and descendants of the 19th-century British naturalist welcomed the project yesterday. They told The Independent that a film of his sea-faring adventures could encourage millions of young people to learn about the importance of his work.

The Oscar-winning writer of Traffic, Stephen Gaghan, who also wrote and directed George Clooney film Syriana, is behind the project.

Laura Keynes, great-great-great-granddaughter of Darwin, said: “A Disney Charles Darwin? The mind boggles, He was quite dashing in his younger years. I think this project is quite exciting, it sounds like fun.”

The project is in its earliest stages and few details have been released, but it is likely to cover Darwin’s five years aboard HMS Beagle, which set out in 1831 around South America, to Australia and South Africa.

David Norman, Odell fellow in the natural sciences at Christ’s College, Cambridge, said a portrayal of Darwin as an adventurer was not far-fetched. “If you look at the records of him as a young man he was a strong, powerful, athletic and a bit of a daredevil.

“The image passed down from generation to generation is of the old guy with the big beard, a worried expression and ill health,” he continued.

“There is an element of an Indiana Jones-style adventurer in his early life and it stands in strong contrast to the man who was ailing in the latter part of his life.”

The Beagle voyage, which was commissioned to chart South America, proved a formative experience for Darwin, who explored the region extensively.

Alison Pearn, associate director of the Darwin Correspondence Project at Cambridge University Library, said: “His is a real adventure story. It would be great if there’s something to introduce Darwin as a young man to a wider audience.”

She said his adventures included being caught in an earthquake in Chile. He found himself in Buenos Aires when a riot broke out and rode with gauchos to the south of Patagonia. Darwin also explored the Galapagos Islands, visited volcanoes and discovered huge fossils.

The most incredible nature moments ever caught on camera

“There is plenty of material,” Dr Pearn said. “I hope they are buying lots of copies of the first volume of his correspondence. It could be done really well.”

So, any bets on him fighting Nazi's and vampires, along with riding a mine cart down an Aztec Pyramid?

[HaemishM]

Oh for fuck's sake. This is going to get all the fundamentalists frothing right alongside the beardy science nerds. The QQing on both sides will be glorious. Of course, the movie will probably be shit that won't be worth half the ink spilled over it.

[Merusk]

A recognizable name that's in the public domain so there's no rights negotiations behind it and has an element of adventure. Makes sense they'll use Darwin rather than any other famous explorer. There's too much animosity in the current zeitgeist against all the famous 'white'* explorers who are also in the public domain and available for the treatment.

* Noting that many explorers weren't White but are reeeeeally portrayed as such in US education. Cortez and Orellana were practically Moorish.

[Shannow]

And here I got all excited thinking they were making a movie about my hometown not some dead scientist. Boo.

[Yegolev]

Who plays the love interest?

[HaemishM]

A Finch? 

[Merusk]

Who plays the love interest?

 Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey

[Yegolev]

"I can't quit you, Jack!"

I love it.

[angry.bob]

A recognizable name that's in the public domain so there's no rights negotiations behind it and has an element of adventure. Makes sense they'll use Darwin rather than any other famous explorer. There's too much animosity in the current zeitgeist against all the famous 'white'* explorers who are also in the public domain and available for the treatment.

* Noting that many explorers weren't White but are reeeeeally portrayed as such in US education. Cortez and Orellana were practically Moorish.

What? Am I missing something here? If Charles Darwin were any whiter he'd be a fucking ghost. He was like the whitest white guy in England. He should have been called Whitey W. Whiteman.

And I can't think of anyone who would hear the name Cortez and think "Yeah, that's a white dude", either in the age of exploration or 10 minutes ago.

[Xuri]

So... will Disney effectively own the rights to all things Darwin after this?

[IainC]

What? Am I missing something here? If Charles Darwin were any whiter he'd be a fucking ghost. He was like the whitest white guy in England. He should have been called Whitey W. Whiteman.

And I can't think of anyone who would hear the name Cortez and think "Yeah, that's a white dude", either in the age of exploration or 10 minutes ago.

I think the point that Merusk was making is that a lot of other famous 'white' explorers might be more controversial because there's a lot of terrible shit attached to them that doesn't fit well in the post-hoc romanticisation of their lives. If you wanted to do a family-friendly Columbus biopic for example you'd need to gloss over all the awful things he did as governor of Hispaniola.

[kaid]

Seems a reasonable idea and frankly the whole beagle trip was a pretty big adventure in discovery for Darwin and the crew it would not even need to be jazzed up that much to be pretty interesting.

[Typhon]

Especially if there is a hot island girl love interest, amirite?  No?  How about a down and out British girl from the wrong side of town with heart of gold stowaway (he could teach her to speak properly!  that's a new twist I thought up all by myself that's probably never been done before)?

Do we think that Darwin with discover (and save!) the forces of evolution via 1) super powers? 2) his plucky wit? 3) the power of love!, 4) ... no WAIT! I have it!  With his love of, and help from, his quirky-but-adorable island friends (tortoise, bird, probably a sea creature) who have been altered by the power of evolution! AND the true love that he shares with the heart of gold stowaway, Darwin will overcome the forces of entropy and man-made toxic waste (probably need to replace the toxic waste with Dr Global Warming because that steps on Fern Gully toes, I think)!

This sounds like one not to miss!

[Merusk]

What? Am I missing something here? If Charles Darwin were any whiter he'd be a fucking ghost. He was like the whitest white guy in England. He should have been called Whitey W. Whiteman.

And I can't think of anyone who would hear the name Cortez and think "Yeah, that's a white dude", either in the age of exploration or 10 minutes ago.

I think the point that Merusk was making is that a lot of other famous 'white' explorers might be more controversial because there's a lot of terrible shit attached to them that doesn't fit well in the post-hoc romanticisation of their lives. If you wanted to do a family-friendly Columbus biopic for example you'd need to gloss over all the awful things he did as governor of Hispaniola.

Yes, that. Just like Columbus isn't a "hero" these days, Cortez was controversial when I was in elementary school. He's got to be regarded a hell of a lot worse now.

[apocrypha]

'Disney Does Darwin'

Is this going to be like 'Debbie Does Dallas' then?

[Shannow]

With more Swedish backpackers, beer, mangos and crocodiles. (aka more fun!)

Oh wait still thinking of the city.