TRAPPED! to become a major motion picture

[Ralph E. Powers]

Yes, that is confirmed. It be Floyd.

I also can confirm that. Roger gave a short talk about the movie at our grotto meeting last night (our grotto actually meets in the basement of Roger's house) and he said Billy Bob is going to play Floyd. He also said shooting may begin as early as June, but wondered how they were going to pull it off since the actual event took place in February when there were no leaves on the trees!

Mike

There aren't any trees in caves. Maybe they just plan on filming the underground portions. and then splice the whole movie together later.

Maybe, but Roger was saying they were looking for locations to shoot the big crowd scenes that went on above ground. If so, having it shot in the summer won't be true to history.

With a big enough budget Hollywood can make the middle of Phoenix at the height of summer look like it's in a snowstorm.

[Evan G]

[center]Now that we are barely over "The Descent", soon coming to a theather near you is:[/center]

[center]
Floyd Collins[/center]

[center][/center]
What's it about? drama centers on the true-life story of cave explorer Floyd Collins' 1925 entrapment in a Kentucky cavern and the ensuing 13-day news frenzy.

Who is in it? Billy Bob Thornton is digging into a new period project.

The multihyphenate is on board to develop "Floyd Collins" as a feature film for Paramount Pictures and will helm and star in the drama. Thornton's manager, Geyer Kosinski, is producing through his Media Talent Group.

Studio 60
Set in 1925, the drama centers on the true-life story of cave explorer Floyd Collins' entrapment in a Kentucky cavern and the ensuing 13-day news frenzy.

The story marked one of the first large-scale media spectacles, provoking hourly radio bulletins and garnering nationwide newspaper headlines. The project is described as being particularly relevant today because it echoes modern-day mining accidents and 24-hour news cycles.

Thornton's longtime writing partner Tom Epperson adapted the screenplay from the book "Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins" by Robert Murray and Roger Brucker.

Kosinski and Thornton optioned the book and brought the material to Paramount. Bruce Heller and David Bushell also are producing.

Paramount's Brad Weston and Alli Shearmur are overseeing for the studio.

Thornton, whose helming credits include "All the Pretty Horses" and "Sling Blade," won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for the latter.

He is repped by CAA, Kosinski and attorney Robert Myman.

[center]For the MORE OF THE STORY, please goto:

<a href="http://www.empiremovies.com/index.php?id=9248">Floyd Collins, Movie News</a>

<a href=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060224/COLUMNISTS04/602240396>Floyd Collins, Big screen</a>[/center]

[center]Here are a few pics from the Broadway play "Floyd Collins":[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]
[/center]

[wendy]

I should would like to be an extra in that movie (Billy Bob if you are reading this..hint hint)

[Squirrel Girl]

I saw the play/musical a few years back with a group of DC cavers. It was OK, but they made Floyd out to be a lot like Jethro Clampett, which didn't do too much for me.

[graveleye]

I'm reading the book for the first time right now. I just hope and pray that they dont have fake southern accents in the movie. It will totally ruin it for me if they do.

But being that its Hollywood, they probably will.

[Ralph E. Powers]

Multihypenates? According to dictionary.com it's not even a word... and by taking "multi" out it defines the rest of the word as this...

To divide or connect (syllables, word elements, or names) with a hyphen.
n. hy·phen·ate (-nt, -nt)
One who performs more than one job or function: auditioned singer-dancers, actor-models, and other hyphenates.

Somebody is making words up.

Knowing Thorton's penchant for doing things true (see: Sling Blade) as far as character and period pieces and such it may be better than any other offering on the caving genre out there by hollywood. But let's hope he don't decide to do it as a musical

[NZcaver]

The might be the appropriate time to ask my fellow cavechatters more about Floyd Collins.

It seems many American cavers revere him in an almost folk-hero kind of way. With no disrespect intended, I'm not really sure why. I realize this tragedy played out as a 13-day public news frenzy all those years ago, and was perhaps the first widely-publicized attempted cave rescue.

But this unfortunate saga with Floyd aside, were there prior chapters in his caving life? Did he explore other caves? I'm curious. I guess I could wait for the movie (or find a book), but even then - will it detail his earlier caving life (if he had one)?

[graveleye]

The book's been out for a while now, but I'm only just now reading it (thanks Wendy!). So far, its a very well researched book, teetering between documentary history and historical fiction, and quite well written.

Collins had indeed discovered some other caves. Folks in Ky back in those days didnt have much.. if you have ever been in the Mammoth Cave area, heck you would really have to work the land to get anything to grow there.. the soil wasnt too good. Without going into the "cave wars" and all, basically, he was trying to locate a cave closer to the main drag so he could attract tourists. His cave, I think Crystal Cave, was too far off the main road and although beautiful, the other caves were getting all the tourists. He got stuck while looking for a new cave.

According to history, he was quite a caver, and explored more caves than we know. Apparently, he left a trail of empty bean cans everywhere he went, and folks were still finding them as of recent years. He was truly obsessed with exploring caves.

I think the reason he is in our history is because of the hype that it made in the news media, and the horrible way in which he was trapped.

Its a good read. If you do pick it up, you'll understand completely why Floyd Collins is etched permanently into American folklore.

[Evan G]

NZ- The Book is called "Trapped" By Robert K. Murray & Roger W. Brucker

[center]<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813101530/sr=8-2/qid=1155932108/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-1536752-5444853?ie=UTF8">Amazon Link to Trapped</a>[/center]

[graveleye]

woops.. left out a crucial element didnt I?

[Ralph E. Powers]

The might be the appropriate time to ask my fellow cavechatters more about Floyd Collins.

It seems many American cavers revere him in an almost folk-hero kind of way. With no disrespect intended, I'm not really sure why. I realize this tragedy played out as a 13-day public news frenzy all those years ago, and was perhaps the first widely-publicized attempted cave rescue.

But this unfortunate saga with Floyd aside, were there prior chapters in his caving life? Did he explore other caves? I'm curious. I guess I could wait for the movie (or find a book), but even then - will it detail his earlier caving life (if he had one)?

I for one do not revere him. I think he was foolish to go out exploring caves by himself. Circumstances might have been where someone behind him could've managed to dislodge the rock in Sand Cave, or managed to get his boot off and make it easier for the foot to get past the rock constriction that was holding him. But then again he might've been the last one out and still would've gotten stuck... BUT he wouldn't have been in there that long and a rescue effort could've been started sooner.

Either way, yes he was a heck of a caver but a reckless one. His story is interesting and tragic but a good lesson on what NOT to do. IMO the epitath of "greatest caver ever known" should actually belong to Stephen Bishop.


but that's just me.

They should do a story about that guy... hmm maybe Will Smith can play him. Doing the long hair thing... heh heh