Leonardo DiCaprio to Produce Calvin and Hobbes Creator Biopic

[MarlaDesat]

Leonardo DiCaprio to Produce Calvin and Hobbes Creator Biopic

Warner Bros. is developing an upcoming biographical film about notoriously press-shy cartoonist Bill Watterson.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Sherlock Holmes producer Roy Lee are teaming up to produce a film based on the life of Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. The yet-untitled biopic is in in development by Warner Bros., and is based on "A Boy and his Tiger", a spec script (that is, an unsolicited script) by screenwriter Dan Dollar. The script follows Watterson's career from fledgling artist through the explosion of popularity of Calvin and Hobbes in its ten-year run, and Watterson's decision to end the comic in 1995. DiCaprio is also producing another biopic, announced September 16, about Woodrow Wilson.

Watterson, a fan favorite cartoonist but also extremely private, has been in the news a lot this year. A documentary film released November 15, ebook formats [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128600-Calvin-and-Hobbes-Documentary-To-Get-November-Screening].

It appears that the film is moving forward without any input from Watterson. The difficulties of telling the story of the Calvin and Hobbes creator without the rights to the comic material has some doubting that the film will actually happen. Warner Bros. has not yet announced a release date for the film.

Source: Comics Alliance [http://screencrush.com/leonardo-dicaprio-calvin-and-hobbes/]


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[faefrost]

Isn't Watterson notoriously shy and private? he avoids the media at almost all costs? So we stage a big biopic of him headlined by some big money talent? Oh dear.

 

[rasputin0009]

Please do not make this film. Knowing Warner Bros., they'll make up a bunch of bullshit drama to put in the movie. If you respect the guy or the comic, you don't make a fucking film about him. Calvin and Hobbes was part of my childhood and I don't want it to lose any integrity because of a bunch of hacks are looking to drain some cash from someone else's genuine art.

 

[sirjeffofshort]

Although I'm a huge HUGE fan of the work of most everyone involved, I'm actually kinda against this. He's a guy who's been through such pain staking efforts to keep himself out of the media so as to not let fame or merchandise overshadow the importance of his work itself (I remember him having said something along those lines at one point before bowing into total seclusion),and this would have to be directly opposed to that ideal.

It has to be a hard line to tread when you create something so immensely popular that the world is clamoring for more, but he has made his decision and I feel like we should respect that and just continue to enjoy everything he's given us.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Since they can't get Bill Watterson to make a Calvin and Hobbes film, a Bill Watterson Film without his permission is obviously the next best thing!

As much as I want more Calvin and Hobbes, I know I won't get it, and I feel that a "Dramocumentary" on Mr. Watterson would be pretty much like making a C&H movie without his permission too. Perhaps Warner Bros. Should just put this script away.

The following is a non-rhetorical question: who would pay money to see a biopic of Bill Waterson?

*Looks to his Left* ... *Looks To His Right* ... *Slowly Raises hand* Me, in all honesty...

 

[Blarg Blargson]

The following is a non-rhetorical question: who would pay money to see a biopic of Bill Waterson?

Seriously. I have no idea what the target demographic is here. I'd guess it isn't hardcore C&H fans (based on the responses of people in this thread), and no one else would have that much of an interest in Waterson's life.

 

[Therumancer]

Sorry, this shouldn't happen, the guy obviously doesn't want the attention and to be left alone, his wishes should be met here. Trying to do a biography of the guy without his input or consent, while he's still alive, is just ridiculous. it actually smacks of an attempt to troll the guy into a response.

I'll also say that I've become a bit more of a fan of Leonardo Dicaprio as he got older, and moved away from the whole "pretty boy heart throb" thing and showed his actually abilities as an actor. I expect more from him than to be at the helm of a stunt like this.

 

[Silk_Sk]

follows filmmaker Joel Allen Schroeder's (unsuccessful) attempts to get Watterson to break his legendary silence.

This isn't even remotely the subject of the film. It is very distinctly NOT about any kind of attempt to find the author or get his input on his success. It is purely about the strip itself.

 

[Nooners]

No. No, nononono. NO. Absolutely not. Since Bill Watterson is such a notorious recluse, since so little is known about him, and since he VALUES HIS PRIVACY, this is a project that I hope never takes off the ground. To do so would grossly go against so much of his values. No.

If you REALLY want to learn about Bill Watterson, then go watch the documentary "Dear Mr. Watterson", released earlier this year. I saw it in April, and it is great.

 

[scorptatious]

Eh... I don't feel alright with this. I mean if they got an okay from Mr. Watterson, then yeah, I'd be fine with it. But it doesn't look like they did. And I remember reading Watterson saying that he was against this kind of thing.

Kinda reminds me of that one Robin Williams movie, the one based on Patch Adams.

 

[mysecondlife]

"With all apologies to Mr. Bill Watterson"

I wonder what he's doing nowadays?

Can a guy really be set for life for a popular comic strip that ended long time ago that never got merchandised?

 

[L3D]

Fan of Calvin and Hobbes here too, I would never watch this movie. Big minus marks on everyone's records for people involved with this project.

 

[sirjeffofshort]

"With all apologies to Mr. Bill Watterson"

I wonder what he's doing nowadays?

Can a guy really be set for life for a popular comic strip that ended long time ago that never got merchandised?

In the anthology of his comics he actually stated that he has moved to a secluded area of the U.S. and concentrates on watercolor painting now, although he has stated that he will never do a gallery as he doesn't consider his new work as fit for public consumption.

I believe his books still sell over (or close to) a million copies each year to this day, and I know that in what's left of the traditional comics industry, a number of papers still syndicate his old comics as well as comic strip websites, so I'm guessing that with all the money he has made, and the royalties the comic continues to make, he could live very well in a modestly low cost part of the country. Of course, again with his need for privacy a lot of that is speculation.

 

[bz316]

There's no way this can be legal. Bill Watterson is alive and hates even being interviewed by people. How the hell could they possibly have the right to make a movie about him?

 

[Steve the Pocket]

There's no way this can be legal. Bill Watterson is alive and hates even being interviewed by people. How the hell could they possibly have the right to make a movie about him?

Because he's famous. Famous people don't have rights. Same reason TMZ hasn't been carpet-bombed by the army for crimes against humanity.

 

[FalloutJack]

Go to hell, DiCaprio, and take your childhood-ruining ideas with you.