The Big Picture
- John Logan to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s
Blood Meridian
, promising a majestic and uncompromising film. - Logan’s impressive track record makes him a perfect fit for a successful adaptation of the dark masterpiece.
- Director John Hillcoat and producer Keith Redmon join the team, with no release date announced yet.
Award-winning writer John Logan has been tapped to adapt Cormac McCarthy‘s bestselling novel Blood Meridian into a feature film for New Regency. Per Variety, John Hillcoat will handle directing and will produce alongside Keith Redmon. Cormac’s son, John Francis McCarthy will executive produce in honor of the late author who passed in June 2023 and who will receive posthumous credit.
The upcoming production was originally launched in 2016 with director James Franco and actor Russell Crowe. However, it failed over rights to the book. Known for its descriptive violence, Blood Meridian is “based on historical conflicts along the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s and follows the journey of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old from Tennessee, as he navigates the brutal and harrowing landscape of this new era.”
The film adaptation of Blood Meridian promises to be a success given the enthusiasm of the creators including Logan who calls the book “majestic.” He disclosed, “Blood Meridian has been one of my favorite novels since first reading it in 1985. It’s a majestic, beautiful and uncompromising book and I’m thrilled to be able to help bring Cormac McCarthy’s dark masterpiece to the screen.”
John Logan Was New Regency’s First Choice
Logan appears to be a perfect fit for adapting Blood Meridian, considering his outstanding history as a scriptwriter. Besides, as a three-time Oscar nominee, his credits include Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd and the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre. Of late, he wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, which is currently in production and stars Jaafar Jackson and Colman Domingo.
Executive producer John Francis McCarthy is incredibly thrilled to have Logan on board. He said, “Very reassuring in the seemingly long list of good news concerning what was originally such an intimidating undertaking.” Meanwhile, New Regency‘s Yariv Milchan and Natalie Lehmann added, “Blood Meridian is one of the most revered novels in American literature, from one of the greatest writers. We knew we needed a very special talent to be able to adapt this seminal book and John Logan was our first choice. His prolific talent and remarkable track record consistently demonstrate his ability to transform cherished stories and texts into cinematic accomplishments.”
Director Hillcoat joined in praising Logan’s writing skills; “After years of dreaming and scheming about adapting this great work into a movie, after years of discussing adaptation ideas with Cormac, we are excited to have the writer John Logan weigh in with his passion and understanding of Cormac’s sensibility, to help bring Blood Meridian the movie to fruition.”
No release date or trailer has been announced yet for the film adaptation of Blood Meridian but stay tuned for more information.
