Tykwer to Adapt Cloud Atlas

Sure, Cloud Atlas was the Richard & Judy "Book of the Year" when it came out (which has all the credibility of an Oprah book award), but it also almost nailed the 2004 Nebula and Arthur C. Clarke Award. This, of course, means that it really is cracking sci-fi. Taking place over six different storylines, Cloud Atlas starts in 1850 and ends in a distant future post-apocalypse after intertwining epics involving everything from tall ship sea voyages to new school UK gangsters to genetically engineered waitresses. Its massive scope appeals to fans of Stephenson, Sterling, and Foundation-era Asimov. Its detailed images are the stuff of sci-fi adaptation daydreams. It is funny, tragic, and incisive all at once. In other words, Cloud Atlas has always been a great film waiting to happen.

First Showing broke the news about a week ago that none other than Tom Tykwer has been at work adapting it for the Wachowski Brothers. Follow-ups from /film and others weren't that helpful until Tykwer made it clear that he is going to direct the script. As a fan of the novel, this is great news. Having written the scripts for almost all of his films except Heaven, he has proven his knack for pacing and dialogue, which Cloud Atlas has in spades. But the book varies greatly in tone and mood from story to story, and Tykwer's ability to work with everything from Run Lola Run's frantic jump cuts to the cool set pieces of Heaven makes him a good choice to translate this novel to the screen. I can almost see Tykwer's slick X Filme Creative Pool brand on the storyline. We will keep up to date on who else gets involved with the project. Early buzz about Natalie Portman is interesting, as her role in Tykwer's short Faubourg Saint-Denis made it my favorite entry in Paris je t'aime. Otherwise, I look forward to "crossin' skies o' the world."