He sings! He dances! He fights from a trench!
Variety reports that Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in a new adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Erich Maria Remarque’s classic World War I novel. The first version of the book won the 1930 Best Picture Oscar, and a Best Director award for Lewis Milestone. There also was a 1979 TV version, starring Richard Thomas.
Radcliffe will play Paul Baumer, a young German soldier fighting in France. Here’s what producer Ian Stokell had to say about the casting:
“Daniel brings a vulnerability and innocence to Paul. When we realized how much he loved the script we were really excited because we know he can tap into the delicate balance between intensity and believability that is critical for this demanding role.”
Okay! This one isn’t happening for a while; Radcliffe is committed to a Broadway run of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011, so this won’t start shooting until 2012. Meanwhile, this November Radcliffe can be seen in a little movie you may have heard of called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One.”
By the way, I noticed that Variety referred to this as “an updated version” of “All Quiet.” Is that just a clumsy way of saying “new,” or is this script moved to another war? I’m hoping it’s the former.
