Joe Cornish to direct Snow Crash

[Donald L.]

‘Attack The Block’s Joe Cornish Lands ‘Snow Crash’ At Paramount

Joe Cornish, who has been offered a ton of projects since his alien invasion breakthrough film Attack The Block, has been set to write and direct the Neal Stephenson novel Snow Crash. The book has just been reacquired by Paramount Pictures, with Kathleen Kennedy and Kennedy/Marshall producing.

[Djscman]

Kennedy/Marshall producing

When it comes to film adaptations, they've had a...checkered history. Some great movies, some awful.

I would have loved to have seen a Snow Crash movie come out 15 years ago. Now it's getting on the edge of when the book was actually set*, and like Back To The Future 2, the failed predictions will be jarring. I look forward to seeing it, though. I would love to see the Deliverator in action--and the scene with four men and a rail gun in a life raft.

Assuming the movie actually gets made.

What do you guys think: too dated? Impossible to adapt? Totally rad?

* I have a friend younger than me that has a father who was a WWII veteran, but both of us are getting older than Hiro Protagonist was. Paraphrased: "He was in the stage of adulthood where looking back at his twenties was like Sunday morning reflecting on the previous night's party."

[Mark Asher]

I think the dating of the setting of Snow Crash is movable, so that's not an issue. It's set in a world that is vastly different from our own with corporate states, virtual reality that is close to holodeck levels, etc. Doesn't matter what date Stephenson stamped on it -- it's not here so move to a time 100 years from now.

I think it can be adapted. The pizza delivery thing could be done well. The virtual reality swordfighting could be done. The whole thing with the mysterious code that puts people in a coma could be done. I think there are ways to show all of this.

Attack the Block was great but it was low-budget, wasn't it? The aliens were laughable in terms of special effects -- guys in ape suits with glowing teeth. I think they need a decent budget to do Snow Crash justice.

[Belisarius]

Lots of things could go wrong, but at the very least they picked a director worth watching...

I think they need a decent budget to do Snow Crash justice.

While a big budget would be nice, I think the grungy sentiment he brought to Attack the Block would work fine for this even without a huge budget. Stevenson is, to me, all about the great story and interesting take on a near future. I care a lot more that they pick a director who understands that, over one with the money to make spectacular shots.

[Ginger Yellow]

I would have loved to have seen a Snow Crash movie come out 15 years ago. Now it's getting on the edge of when the book was actually set*, and like Back To The Future 2, the failed predictions will be jarring.

The failed predictions are the best bit of BTTF 2! HoloJaws! Self-fitting clothing! Hoverboards that don't work on water for some reason!