Aud the movie

From: Charlotte

I just read an interview about your latest Aud book and you mentioned that there has been talk of an Aud movie, but that it would be a hard sell for Hollywood.

Have you considered cable television, such as Showtime or HBO? It seems to me that a lot of quality shows are being made there now, with more interesting subject matter, and with less limitations.

Also, what would be a typically 90 or 100 minute feature film can be done more in depth.

Finally, people who might not flock to an Aud feature film, would probably watch on TV.

I guess my question is would you consider that a viable option, and who would you like to play Aud?

I would love to see Lucy Lawless (with the proper physical transformation), but I might be less than impartial since I was a Xena fan.

Thanks for your time.

I'd be delighted with a top-drawer cable interpretation of Aud (HBO, Showtime, FX, BBC America). That's the kind of television I grew up on in England: the 12-part series (like "Rome").

After I finished all the rewrites and corrections and copyedits of Always last year, I started in on the screenplay of The Blue Place. I have to say, it has a crackerjack opening. But, well, after the first 7 pages I got bored. I know what happens. I've already written that story. Of course, the film would be different; of course it's a new medium; of course the constraints and mode would all have to change, but... I've still written it before. I know who Aud is. I know what she does. And after ten years in her head, I needed a break.

Having said all that, I can definitely see going back to the script once I've finished the first draft of the novel I'm working on now. Early next year, maybe. I'd love to get Paul Greengrass to direct. (I admire extremely what he's done with the Bourne franchise, and Aud has a lot of Bourne in her.)

Having said that, I do think that, after TBP, Aud would be best served in episodic form. I can see both Stay and Always as TV series: intense, absolutely convincing visually (something like "Deadwood"), their own world. I really like "Dexter," but Aud would need much more serious treatment.

Having said that, the biggest problem is casting. Who on earth could play Aud? Her character on screen will be all about how she moves. The only person I've ever seen move like Aud is Jet Li. If I took a reader poll today, I'm pretty sure Angelina Jolie would win, hands down, but I'd need a lot of convincing. As for Lucy Lawless, nope, I have to disagree. Her moves as Xena never persuaded me. (I loved the show--apart from the stupid, sucky, old-school ending--but always had to willfully suspend my disbelief everytime Lawless got in a fight. Sigh. Though, oof, her fighting was never, ever as embarrassing to watch as those ridiculous Amazon dance sequences. Oh, god, talk about toe-curling...)

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