Alexander Dumas' 19-century novel Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) has been the subject of numerous and varied movie adaptations over the years, from a Spaghetti Western version to an animated interpretation featuring classic Disney characters. The last attempt to take a semi-faithful approach to the source material was Disney's The Three Musketeers (1993), which starred Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland and received generally poor reviews.
It appears now that moviegoers might be treated to a Musketeer showdown at the box office, with two new adaptations in the works. Back in September, it was announced that Resident Evil director Paul W. S. Anderson would be directing a 3-D version of Dumas' classic novel based on a script he was working on with Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones's Diary). And now Variety is reporting that the creative force behind the success of Sherlock Holmes, producer Lionel Wigram, is also interested in updating Dumas' trio, in much the same way he did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. Anderson said that he and Davies were planning on "modernizing" The Three Musketeers and that the emphasis would be on "eye-popping action," descriptions that could easily be applied to Wigram's concept.
Wigram, a former Warner creative executive, has set up his adaptation at Warner Bros. and hired Bridget O'Connor (Sixty Six) and Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare at Goats) to write the screenplay. Wigram intends to turn The Three Musketeers into a franchise, possibly with an eye to adapting the other two books in Dumas' "The D'Artagnan Romances" trilogy.
Posted 02.13.10 by BrentJS
The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas' classic tale of friendship and sword fights, has been adapted countless times for the big screen, starting as early as 1903. But has it ever appeared in 3-D with Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson at the helm? Not yet, but it soon will.
Anderson, best known for horror/sci-fi movies like Resident Evil and AVP: Alien vs. Predator, has also written the screenplay, along with Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones's Diary). Production will begin next year for a 2011 release, after Anderson has finished Resident Evil: Afterlife.
For those thinking Anderson's Musketeers will be anything like Disney's 1993 production that starred Chris O'Donnell, Kiefer Sutherland, and Charlie Sheen, think again. Besides possibly being one of the few movie properties to start its life in the silent era and then end up in 3-D, Anderson has a whole new Musketeers vision:
We are definitely modernizing The Three Musketeers without compromising the fun of shooting a period piece. But in our film, corsets and feathered hats don't take center stage. Our version is rich in eye-popping action, romance, and adventure.
Posted 09.04.09 by Ryan