UPDATE [April 24] - It has now been confirmed that the latest Blood Meridian Movie adaption is still in active development with three time Oscar-nominated scribe John Logan joining the project to take over writing duties!
I'll admit this is probably true, but i would very much rather experience it on the big screen with hundreds of people rather than sitting on my couch in my boxers@@jamesbell8496
I am certain that 'Blood Meridian' would work as a movie. A script true to the novel and a bold director is all it takes. I think the reluctance is over the violence contained in the story, however this did not seem a barrier to the other film adaptations of the authors work. The Road? No Country for Old Men? If the production gets a green light, many A Listers would be interested in being involved. The Judge is certainly one of those parts that rarely come along and could be potentially Oscar worthy.
i don't think it's the violence so much as the author enjoyed investigating human nature and motivation which was his main topic in his novels (to me, "child of god" is his best) and to come up with either the dialogue or acting to project the thoughts and internal emotions within the characters would be difficult and not "doable" in an action movie... i think it'd require someone narrating the inner personal turmoil and motivations during the movie and most people in the audience wouldn't get it and the critics would tear it apart... some things are better imagined.... and one thing, the real life events were much much bloodier and the book only covered one group of those real life events... there were many more ... it's my hometown...
The Road & No Country for Old Men had something going for them that Blood Meridian does not: sympathetic characters. In the two successful movies, the main characters were shocked observers and reluctant participants in the violence. In Blood Meridian, there no main sympathetic characters for a casual viewer to latch onto. There are interesting characters like The Judge or Toadvine, but they are warped psychopaths. The real main character is the violence itself, the casual savagery that swallows everybody whole. In the book, even "the kid" becomes more of a secondary character as the Glanton Gang moves from one bloody situation to the next. You need a sympathetic character or two to tell a story on film; but inventing one for Blood Meridian kinda defeats the whole message of the book. So .... ?
It's filmable. The book has incredibly cinematic scenes. Just need the right director, script, and actors make that happen. Also don't lose the theme of humanity being just part of a bleak, savage universe.
While I am happy this is gonna be filmed, I feel like a lot of Judge Holden scenes will be cut to make the film less disturbing. Mainly the ones involving CSA, cause not only would it make Holden a little tamer compared to his book one, it would just be boring missing the disturbing and horrifying actions a character like Holden would commit. I could care less if Holden was changed into a female or smth. But, adapting Holden onto the big screen will need sacrifices, and I feel like it would work better as a tv series like Last of Us or smth. Still excited, but, who knows. Perhaps Holden will be the monster in the books, like Baron from Dune.
@@davidlean1060 I just hope it won’t be poorly written and filmed to the point people see it as shock value. I hate films like a Serbian film because they just exist to be shocking.
I do not believe the universe is savage. I believe humankind is savage. We need another few thousand years of development and evolution but right now, we are some savage, brutal, greedy, narcissistic mofo's. We are likely the shithole of the galaxy.
If you can cast Holden properly and if you can depict the violence in a horrific, yet surreal enough way, it could be done. Hitchcock depicted a horrific scene of violence in "Psycho" and it worked superbly. Blatantly showing every knife slash, every gunshot wound, isn't necessary. With proper sound direction--horses braying, gunfire, men calling out, the screams of the dying, the soggy slap of gore--you can evoke plenty in the viewers' imagination without showing a thing. "Saving Private Ryan" had an absolutely abominable opening scene, and it was so powerful, it set the tone and established the stakes involved in the horror of that war. It could be done, but I think the directors need to contemplate the model for how the tale of _Blood Meridian_ is delivered. I think, after seeing "True Detective" season 1, I realized how powerful a serial drama could be. _Blood Meridian_ begs to be done in a 6 part epic, lasting 9 hours in total.
I read an alleged script by William Monahan for Ridley Scott’s attempt and it was pretty awful, I’m glad it never got made into a movie. It contains a bizarrely happy ending where the Kid kills the Judge and adopts a toddler, plus it has some cringy dialogue and it compresses the opening act of the book to the point of whiplash. At first I didn’t believe it could be real but I talked to the guy who leaked it online and now I unfortunately believe it’s legitimate. The bar was set so low by that, I’m curious to read the other scripts by Steve Tesich (for the producer Scott Rudin), Tommy Lee Jones (which I hear only adapted part of the book and I suppose he was hoping to make multiple movies), and James Franco, but as far as I know none of those scripts are available to read online, though if any of you do know where I could read any of them, do tell (I know the Tesich script can be read at a couple libraries but they’re too far away from me). And of course, I really hope McCarthy finished at least one draft of a script.
He would be great but I think the guy who could really nail the role would be the same guy who plays the “Swede” in Hell on wheels. Heck, his character practically turned into the judge, and even slightly quoted the judge in the series during the second season on.
I made a list of people who could play as the judge here 1. Vincent D'Onofrio 2. Glenn Fleshler 3. Javier Bardem 4. Derek Mears 5. Dave Bautista 6. Brendan Fraser These guys are just great!
the story of bone tomahawk is not that far from real events... i grew up at the north end of the camino del diablo... and certain peoples "down there" do have beliefs and rituals that do include some acts that you can't describe on y0tube... one of the sayings from there is "you haven't cried enough tears for god to listen to your prayers" (and that saying pertains to some very cruel actions against young innocents)
Jack Nickelson is about as -anti-judge as you can get. Glad that one didn't get made. There is plenty of repetition in the novel that can be cut away without much problems and the child rape probably has to go. If you can film Cannibal Holocaust in the 70's then you can film Blood Meridian. Just make it in Mexico and it probably won't make any money if done right.
They would not have to show the child rape, the implication would work just fine. As for the gore, I would film those scenes ala Nick Cage's Mandy. Very trippy, nightmarish, with very liberal use of colors. Intersperse trippy / weird shots with quick cuts to hyper-realistic violence of extreme nature. That would convey the absolute brutality and being quick cuts you can get real nasty without bothering the censors.
I think it should be an animated mini-series. That way it would be easier to show brutal scenes, you wouldn't have to worry about the judge's actor and since it would be a series, you wouldn't have to squeeze all the content into one movie.
@@ModeloBloodReplacement I think they mean animated like arcane not some Disney movie. Honestly it would work pretty good in a lot of ways, especially in getting down some of the scenes with a lot of description
It isn't the violence that will be the issue, its the dialogue. The book is a deep exploration of the horror of life and if the story is told without that deep exploration it will become gratuitous but if the deep exploration, through the dialogue, is included, it will become ponderous.
Needs a big star and auteur director attached to make it an event film that the studio won’t meddle with and allow it to be as dark and violent as it needs to be while also being a must watch prestige picture for general audiences. That’s what the book deserves.
This book is not film friendly. That said, I believe there could be an adaptation for a mini series. It would be very difficult, yet, it's the only feasible way.
There's a difference between "filmable" and "profitable" or fitting into the tripe the dire film industry demands as they try to please too many people at once. If you neuter it, it won't be Blood Meridian, so if it requires an x-rating, then just give it an x-rating. It should only be adapted by someone who deeply understands and appreciates the genius of the source material and is not shy about presenting it with all all the shock and horror and evil that makes that source material as impactful as it is. I didn't mind the short that Franco produced (it can be torrented) but the guy he cast for Holden was too small and needed to be physically more imposing.
Bone tomahawk. Bone tomahawk is the reason why I believe blood meridian can have a movie adaptation, it's sudden and raw sadistic violence that has no filter and a movie that was genuinely upsetting to me and boggles me how this film even existed.
Nathan Jones should play the Judge. He was the Steve Austen looking guy from Mad Max Fury Road. Played Immorten Joes son. Trust me. He has the head and face of the Judge that you often see depicted.
Judge Holden is possibly the most elegant and evil character of all-time. I don't think a well-known actor can pull it off. It needs to be an unknown or perhaps a dark horse, like Heath Ledger with The Joker. I'm hopeful, but I doubt any adaptation of this book can be as good as No Country for Old Men or even the Road.
If you haven’t read this book yet, it should be the next book you do read. It is indeed a masterpiece. The Judge is one of the greatest villains in the history of the written word.
It would perfect fit with my list of best Westerns ever: “McCabe & Mrs. Miller”, “Soldier Blue”, “Heaven’s Gate”, “The Missouri Breaks”, “3:10 to Yuma”
David Lynch is the only director that would do this justice. Big time honorable mention to the movie Slow West. If anybody didn’t see that, check it out.
slow west is one of the most picturesque and unique westerns i’ve ever seen, i wish there were more like it. its a shame the director hasn’t made any films since
_Blood Meridian_ would need to be a mini series like the first season of _True Detective._ There's just too much that happens and ALL of it is important.
The test footage was actually really good, it made me hopeful for a hazy authentic movie about my favorite novel the way it felt when I first read it. Hillcoat also directed the red dead redemption machinima, which actually kind of ruled. All of his movies are well made and have that Micheal Mann level of style with some very solid grit, I think he has the attention to detail needed for a good adaptation.
Make it x rated, no holds bound, fund the sh*t out of it too and give it a great director and you might be able to do it justice. Use some and I mean very very few implications if necessary (which you probably will need).
@justindavis2503 Vincent would be my first choice. He is an amazing actor, and his roles in The Cell and The Salton Sea confirm to me that he could best portray the charismatically evil Judge.
They need to lean into the violence and make the grittiest western in existence. Westerns are about to become trendy again, so let's start with Blood Meridian. As long as they realize the dark beauty that makes the book so appealing is necessary for the adaptation.
My favorite novel of all time, and I agree with McCarthy, the movie can be done but it won’t be easy. While Hillcoat wouldn’t have been my first choice for director, I do think if he takes the right swings he can prove tk be the right choice because of how good both The Proposition and Lawless are. The real test will be casting
Blood Meridian was the first Cormac McCarthy book I had read, after recommended by friend. It was a page turner after I got used to his style. I tried reading Sutree after that and couldn't get into it. Loved The Road, but so dark and lonely. And then saw the No Country movie and LOVED it. I still haven't read that one I don't think. I had some friends working on a screenplay for Blood Meridian as a hobby back in 2003-ish. Coen Bros or Paul Thomas Anderson could be amazing. Hell, Linklater would be interesting. I almost want to see proofs of concept and then vote on it, lol.
Impossible to authentically translate on to film ... Cormac was 😥the master of this type of story telling. The brutality within humans he infers in the book wouldn't be allowed. I read this book early 1990 ... and it still plays on my mind. The guy was a genius. Best American Author of his generation ... should be seen alongside Steinbeck. Ah, but whadda I know 😆I just love the guy!
There is a lot of graphic violence in the book, but it you could always be smart and make a lot of it suggestive by having some things happen off camera that you can hear or capture with somebody's facial reaction to what's happening
Would the creative forces from 'Deadwood' bring any added value to an attempt to make the best of this project. They set a certain tone that was darkly impressive.
Zack Snyder as writer/director The Rock as Judge Holden Keven Heart as Glanton The Rizzler as The Kid Tom Holland as Toadvine Drake and Kendrick as the two Jacksons Mr Beast as the Ex Priest Throw in a couple of the stranger things kids in there too and boom, you got a billion dollar movie right there.
Should just be Tarantino's last film, I mean he did Django and that film is heavy as hell in its own right(Yes I know Blood Meridian is on a different level)
for anyone that's not familiar with the story... it's actually just a small part of a very bloody time....i grew up there where the events occurs ... as a kid and, as well as, an adult, i searched for "lincoln's gold" which was the real life cause of all the bloodshed... never found it but the clues, hints stories that the "old timers' told me, and just some gut instincts took me from the swamp and sand of the colorado river to a little park at the bend on santa monica blvd in los angeles to vazquez's rocks/ hideout, to the gravesite of hi jolly in quartzside, az... and many places in between.... if one person really shines as the hero(ine) of those bloody events, then that person would be sarah bowman (known as the "first citizen of yuma arizona", "great western" and the "heroine of fort brown"... she saved olive oatman (some may recognize olive's photo as the pioneer woman with facial tattoos and for some reason was portrayed in the mini series "hell on wheels" and olive's family was massacred during those bloody events)... anyway, sarah was buried with full military honors and rank of a u.s. colonel at the presido in san francisco (she earned it)...and if anyone really deserves a movie portraying them, then sarah bowman sure does...
The problem is not just the savage violence. It's the lack of any sympathetic characters. Even though "the kid" is presented as a main character early on, it is not really his story. Oddly, this is one of the many strengths of the book, but it could only weaken a movie or limited cable series. In the book, the steady drumbeat of savagery comes to eclipse "the kid" until the violence becomes the book's central character, with a host of other characters (Toadvine, the Judge) only there to comment on it and philosophize about it. How do you make *that* into a coherent film?
One of my favourite novels of all time. When I read it, I imagined Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Judge and Matthew McConaughey as Glanton. (I know McConaughey looks different than what the character is being described as, but who cares.)
I think if you focus more on emphasizing the philosophical aspects and characters while using suggestive cuts for the violence could work well if done correctly
Just let the audience imagination cover what can only be implied to avoid censorship, an example would be a cutaway or the aftermath of a dead body. I need this.
Make it a miniseries. People are more lenient with extreme violence if they can put it on a small screen and step away from it for a minute. The book has multiple set pieces that are more amenable to a four or five episode series rather than a two hour movie, and the pacing would get more relaxed so surreal elements would have more time to breathe.
Movies need a good plot to be good, I'm afraid that's not the strength of Blood Meridian. Blood Meridian's strengths are the philosophy, theme, and narration put beautifully into words by Cormac and something that can't be easily reproduced on film. At best, it'll turn out to be your standard modern western action movie that will be quickly forgotten
Guy Pierce is the ONLY actor that could be Judge Holden. Everything he is in makes me hate him even more each time. He is such a phenomenal actor to make you actually hate him & not the role.
If anyone has read Jaws and seen the film, it’s clear that you can make a successful film adaptation of a book, but you simply have to adapt it to the medium it will not be used. It is possible to make any novel into a great film, so long as the film doesn’t try to be exactly like the books, but keep the same spirit and themes in the story. Back to the Jaws example. In the novel Chief Brody’s wife has an affair with Hooper. The mafia is heavily involved with the Mayor. Spielberg wisely cut all that out and a lot more. And, Quint’s speech about his experience on the U.S.S Indianapolis gives a backstory to his character that is nowhere in the book. I think the film adaptation of Blood Meridian will need to do something similar. Some of the violence will need to be cut, maybe even some characters. If they simplify the story, focus on the two primary characters, The Kid and The Judge, make it an epic yet more contained story, I think it can be done! I also think a miniseries is a great idea too! :)
Since covering the announcement of a Blood Meridian movie about a year ago, I've had a lot of people ask for an update, so this video will cover everything we know about the film as of 2024, as well as taking a deeper look at the failed adaptations that came before it. But I'm curious, do you think Blood Meridian will work as movie or is it really one of those stories that only works as a novel? 🤔
I would like to comment that I would really love to see this made into a movie. Even if it gets a non rating or a X rating. The story deserves to be shown on film. Without cutting out the brutality.
Somebody should/could make an animated movie. I'd definitely watch it. I read the book. I'm definitely going to read it again. Strange days for sure and God's definitely watching...... and waiting. PEACE.
Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now is The Judge. I'm not sure who could play this role. Maybe Holt McCallany with a different version of "The Beast" from "Shot Caller". Bardem nailed various parallels as Anton Chigurh with the philosophical preaching moments, but was different in that the judge can also charm and manipulate people in a social setting.
I'm sure McCarthy was inspired by Brando from Apocalypse Now when writing the character of the Judge. They share too many symiliarites for it to be a coincidence
Scalphunters was quite comedic in moments, not surprising given the four leading actors but yes this attempt would need to be several hours long and the actors well chosen
One of the problems now is, given the social discourse we’re already submerged in, few will be able to handle the violence anytime a white man does anything to anyone nonwhite, which happens A LOT in the book. There isn’t much of a target audience equipped with the intellect (or coping mechanisms) to absorb what the story is trying to convey.
![The Dark Tower TV Show EXPLAINED - Mike Flanagan [2024]](/img/n.gif)
UPDATE [April 24] - It has now been confirmed that the latest Blood Meridian Movie adaption is still in active development with three time Oscar-nominated scribe John Logan joining the project to take over writing duties!
Totally film able, but needs to be in a ten hour mini-series format. Greatest Western ever written.
Absolutely Caroline. No way Blood Meridian could be a 2 or even 3 hour movie.
They couldn't do it justice in a short time.
Exactly what I thought as I watched this video.
I'll admit this is probably true, but i would very much rather experience it on the big screen with hundreds of people rather than sitting on my couch in my boxers@@jamesbell8496
Needs really great photography to match up with the writing quality. It’s a tall order to live up to.
Also child rape stuff is probably gonna be taken out
My English Professor at Clarion University turned me onto Blood Meridian in the early nineties… fantastic read, I hope someday someone pulls this off
8 hour mini series on HBO
HBO would do it right, for sure.
@@genghiskhan7041
Assuming they did it like the first season of _True Detective_ or _Chernobyl;_ HBO's been failing as of late.
agree
@@cadamham
It'd have to be a _GOOD_ HBO series.
I am certain that 'Blood Meridian' would work as a movie. A script true to the novel and a bold director is all it takes. I think the reluctance is over the violence contained in the story, however this did not seem a barrier to the other film adaptations of the authors work. The Road? No Country for Old Men? If the production gets a green light, many A Listers would be interested in being involved. The Judge is certainly one of those parts that rarely come along and could be potentially Oscar worthy.
Just finished the novel and I'm mostly curious about who they'll cast for Holden, can't have this work without a solid Judge
@@antin_ovelVincent D’Onofrio has always been my pick personally but if Marlon Brando was still alive I would pick him.
The issue is all the rape and violence against kids
i don't think it's the violence so much as the author enjoyed investigating human nature and motivation which was his main topic in his novels (to me, "child of god" is his best) and to come up with either the dialogue or acting to project the thoughts and internal emotions within the characters would be difficult and not "doable" in an action movie... i think it'd require someone narrating the inner personal turmoil and motivations during the movie and most people in the audience wouldn't get it and the critics would tear it apart... some things are better imagined.... and one thing, the real life events were much much bloodier and the book only covered one group of those real life events... there were many more ... it's my hometown...
The Road & No Country for Old Men had something going for them that Blood Meridian does not: sympathetic characters. In the two successful movies, the main characters were shocked observers and reluctant participants in the violence. In Blood Meridian, there no main sympathetic characters for a casual viewer to latch onto. There are interesting characters like The Judge or Toadvine, but they are warped psychopaths. The real main character is the violence itself, the casual savagery that swallows everybody whole. In the book, even "the kid" becomes more of a secondary character as the Glanton Gang moves from one bloody situation to the next. You need a sympathetic character or two to tell a story on film; but inventing one for Blood Meridian kinda defeats the whole message of the book. So .... ?
It's filmable. The book has incredibly cinematic scenes. Just need the right director, script, and actors make that happen. Also don't lose the theme of humanity being just part of a bleak, savage universe.
While I am happy this is gonna be filmed, I feel like a lot of Judge Holden scenes will be cut to make the film less disturbing. Mainly the ones involving CSA, cause not only would it make Holden a little tamer compared to his book one, it would just be boring missing the disturbing and horrifying actions a character like Holden would commit. I could care less if Holden was changed into a female or smth. But, adapting Holden onto the big screen will need sacrifices, and I feel like it would work better as a tv series like Last of Us or smth. Still excited, but, who knows. Perhaps Holden will be the monster in the books, like Baron from Dune.
@@davidlean1060 lol. Sorry, I just want Holden to feel like Holden, and not some watered down cookie cutter bad guy, y’know?
@@davidlean1060 I just hope it won’t be poorly written and filmed to the point people see it as shock value. I hate films like a Serbian film because they just exist to be shocking.
@@davidlean1060 We’ll just have to see.
I do not believe the universe is savage. I believe humankind is savage. We need another few thousand years of development and evolution but right now, we are some savage, brutal, greedy, narcissistic mofo's. We are likely the shithole of the galaxy.
If you can cast Holden properly and if you can depict the violence in a horrific, yet surreal enough way, it could be done. Hitchcock depicted a horrific scene of violence in "Psycho" and it worked superbly. Blatantly showing every knife slash, every gunshot wound, isn't necessary. With proper sound direction--horses braying, gunfire, men calling out, the screams of the dying, the soggy slap of gore--you can evoke plenty in the viewers' imagination without showing a thing. "Saving Private Ryan" had an absolutely abominable opening scene, and it was so powerful, it set the tone and established the stakes involved in the horror of that war. It could be done, but I think the directors need to contemplate the model for how the tale of _Blood Meridian_ is delivered. I think, after seeing "True Detective" season 1, I realized how powerful a serial drama could be. _Blood Meridian_ begs to be done in a 6 part epic, lasting 9 hours in total.
I hope Danny devito plays the judge.
They could reverse-Hobbit him - 7 foot-tall Danny.
@@hellbenderdesignterrifying
No, maybe Alan ritchson, don't know of any other taller actor
hahaha
Vincent d"onafrio be a good fit .
The guy who played the yellow king in True detective season 1 should play the judge.
I read an alleged script by William Monahan for Ridley Scott’s attempt and it was pretty awful, I’m glad it never got made into a movie. It contains a bizarrely happy ending where the Kid kills the Judge and adopts a toddler, plus it has some cringy dialogue and it compresses the opening act of the book to the point of whiplash. At first I didn’t believe it could be real but I talked to the guy who leaked it online and now I unfortunately believe it’s legitimate.
The bar was set so low by that, I’m curious to read the other scripts by Steve Tesich (for the producer Scott Rudin), Tommy Lee Jones (which I hear only adapted part of the book and I suppose he was hoping to make multiple movies), and James Franco, but as far as I know none of those scripts are available to read online, though if any of you do know where I could read any of them, do tell (I know the Tesich script can be read at a couple libraries but they’re too far away from me).
And of course, I really hope McCarthy finished at least one draft of a script.
i think Todd Field also wrote a script in the 2000's but in the end it never amounted to anything.
Ridley Scott is vastly overrated
Can i ask where i find it and read it?
@@robertstraw9881 This. Once in a while he does an amazing job. Most of the time he is a disappointment.
I would rather this movie never be made than be directed by Ridley Scott
I loathe the newer Alien films
Please don’t tell me he’s directing it
funnily enough he did direct a movie from a script by cormac mccarthy but the counselor was so fucking terrible
@@ShacoPL As far as i'm concerned, there are only two Alien films; the first and the sequel.
At his peak I think Ridley Scott would have been a good pick but Napoleon really made me think he's done now.
Vincent d’ofronio shoul be the judge
More like Peter Dinklage
Javier bardem
762 millimetre
Kim Dotcom is pretty close to perfect height and weight. Dotcom is the judge to me.
He would be great but I think the guy who could really nail the role would be the same guy who plays the “Swede” in Hell on wheels. Heck, his character practically turned into the judge, and even slightly quoted the judge in the series during the second season on.
I made a list of people who could play as the judge here
1. Vincent D'Onofrio
2. Glenn Fleshler
3. Javier Bardem
4. Derek Mears
5. Dave Bautista
6. Brendan Fraser
These guys are just great!
Vincent is just perfect for the role
Stellan Skarsgård
I fucking love that we all went immediatly to Vincent D'Onofrio for the judge♥️
Daniel day Lewis as the Judge. No contest.
@@lennarthagen8730Doesn't fit him phisically as a role
At least we'll always have Bone Tomahawk.
You might as well watch BT and The Revenant back to back and have an approximation of what the BM movie could be.
@@dbob3405 They were murderous brothers from different mothers.
the story of bone tomahawk is not that far from real events... i grew up at the north end of the camino del diablo... and certain peoples "down there" do have beliefs and rituals that do include some acts that you can't describe on y0tube... one of the sayings from there is "you haven't cried enough tears for god to listen to your prayers" (and that saying pertains to some very cruel actions against young innocents)
Facts
Vincent D'onofrio as the Judge would be amazing!
Pretty much the only real choice. It's the role he was born to play, other than Kingpin.
Robert Eggers needs to direct Blood Meridian period it would be amazing in his hands
I hadn't thought of him, but you are absolutely right.
It's best for the Judge to be played by an unknown actor, that's how masterpieces are made.
Jack Nickelson is about as -anti-judge as you can get. Glad that one didn't get made. There is plenty of repetition in the novel that can be cut away without much problems and the child rape probably has to go. If you can film Cannibal Holocaust in the 70's then you can film Blood Meridian. Just make it in Mexico and it probably won't make any money if done right.
Jack Nicholson is always Jack Nicholson. He could never portray Judge Holden.
They would not have to show the child rape, the implication would work just fine. As for the gore, I would film those scenes ala Nick Cage's Mandy. Very trippy, nightmarish, with very liberal use of colors. Intersperse trippy / weird shots with quick cuts to hyper-realistic violence of extreme nature. That would convey the absolute brutality and being quick cuts you can get real nasty without bothering the censors.
Jack Nicholson could have portrayed the Judges strange charisma well but not the physicality
It's absolutely filmable. It simply not palatable.
I think it should be an animated mini-series. That way it would be easier to show brutal scenes, you wouldn't have to worry about the judge's actor and since it would be a series, you wouldn't have to squeeze all the content into one movie.
animated, absolutely not. this needs to be the gritty realistic western that it is
@@ModeloBloodReplacement agreed.
hell nah god please not animated
@@ModeloBloodReplacement I think they mean animated like arcane not some Disney movie. Honestly it would work pretty good in a lot of ways, especially in getting down some of the scenes with a lot of description
@@davidlean1060yes but they mean that the violence is meant to be realistic in order to make it feel like it felt in the book.
Reading the novel, in my head I immediately cast Brian Dennehy as the judge...I can still see him, head shaved, speaking those lines.
I always imagine Michael Chiklis, lol
That's perfect
I think Ralph Ineson could work.
For me it was the voice of Benjamin Byron Davis
You're aware he's dead, right?
It isn't the violence that will be the issue, its the dialogue. The book is a deep exploration of the horror of life and if the story is told without that deep exploration it will become gratuitous but if the deep exploration, through the dialogue, is included, it will become ponderous.
Needs a big star and auteur director attached to make it an event film that the studio won’t meddle with and allow it to be as dark and violent as it needs to be while also being a must watch prestige picture for general audiences. That’s what the book deserves.
I'm currently reading it. Probably the most gritty and brutal thing I have read. Love it
I have long felt that Guy Pearce would be a great "Tobin"
This book is not film friendly. That said, I believe there could be an adaptation for a mini series. It would be very difficult, yet, it's the only feasible way.
There's a difference between "filmable" and "profitable" or fitting into the tripe the dire film industry demands as they try to please too many people at once. If you neuter it, it won't be Blood Meridian, so if it requires an x-rating, then just give it an x-rating. It should only be adapted by someone who deeply understands and appreciates the genius of the source material and is not shy about presenting it with all all the shock and horror and evil that makes that source material as impactful as it is.
I didn't mind the short that Franco produced (it can be torrented) but the guy he cast for Holden was too small and needed to be physically more imposing.
As someone who read the novel, I really didn't think it was that violent
Bone tomahawk.
Bone tomahawk is the reason why I believe blood meridian can have a movie adaptation, it's sudden and raw sadistic violence that has no filter and a movie that was genuinely upsetting to me and boggles me how this film even existed.
John Hawkes would be a great Glanton, when he played Teardrop in Winters Bone, would be good
He is way too old
he's too skinny. jeff bridges is the judge!
I'd like to see Josh Brolin as Glanton
After watching Hoslites, i can't imagine other than Christian Bale to be Glanton.
I always pictured Locke from game of thrones as Glanton
Nathan Jones should play the Judge. He was the Steve Austen looking guy from Mad Max Fury Road. Played Immorten Joes son. Trust me. He has the head and face of the Judge that you often see depicted.
After seeing The Revenant, I think Tom Hardy would be a good John Glanton.
All you need is Richard Poe's narration 😊
The audiobook is hands-down the best I've ever heard.
Word maybe my next audible
and the 7'0 tall?
He had a voice like Welles .
Judge Holden is possibly the most elegant and evil character of all-time. I don't think a well-known actor can pull it off. It needs to be an unknown or perhaps a dark horse, like Heath Ledger with The Joker. I'm hopeful, but I doubt any adaptation of this book can be as good as No Country for Old Men or even the Road.
Vincent D’ Onofrio could pull it off.
@@artgf Yes indeed! He'd be my choice.
A very evil man in real life, too. The real Glanton Gang were truly horrible.
Ralph Ineson is my vote
Most evil is debatable, Morgoth from Silmarillion is worse in my personal opinion
If you could a make a 3 hour-NC-17-western as brilliant as No Country For Old Men then you have an adaptation for Blood Meridian
Director:
-Robert Eggers
-Alejandro G. Iñárritu
-Panos Cosmatos
-Lynne Ramsay
-Alfonso Cuarón
Judge Actors:
-Ted Levine
-Woody Harrelson
-Vincent D'Onofrio
-Dave Bautista
-Paul Mescal
Actors for Joel Glanton:
-Michael Fassbender
-Tom Hardy
-Robert Pattinson
-Christian Bale
Keep Franco away from this
If you haven’t read this book yet, it should be the next book you do read. It is indeed a masterpiece. The Judge is one of the greatest villains in the history of the written word.
Hard to do this story justice in just 2-3 hours. I agree with many it should be a 10-episode mini series
It would perfect fit with my list of best Westerns ever: “McCabe & Mrs. Miller”, “Soldier Blue”, “Heaven’s Gate”, “The Missouri Breaks”, “3:10 to Yuma”
David Lynch is the only director that would do this justice. Big time honorable mention to the movie Slow West. If anybody didn’t see that, check it out.
slow west is one of the most picturesque and unique westerns i’ve ever seen, i wish there were more like it. its a shame the director hasn’t made any films since
_Blood Meridian_ would need to be a mini series like the first season of _True Detective._ There's just too much that happens and ALL of it is important.
I’m glad Ridley Scott and James Franco didn’t get their hands on it.
The test footage was actually really good, it made me hopeful for a hazy authentic movie about my favorite novel the way it felt when I first read it. Hillcoat also directed the red dead redemption machinima, which actually kind of ruled. All of his movies are well made and have that Micheal Mann level of style with some very solid grit, I think he has the attention to detail needed for a good adaptation.
I think blood Meridian would be a pretty epic movie, and I would love to see the part where the kid becomes the man
Make it x rated, no holds bound, fund the sh*t out of it too and give it a great director and you might be able to do it justice. Use some and I mean very very few implications if necessary (which you probably will need).
It can be done, casting is huge Judge will be hard to cast.
Based on his performance as Kingpin, I think Vincent D'Onofrio might be able to pull it off.
@justindavis2503 Vincent would be my first choice. He is an amazing actor, and his roles in The Cell and The Salton Sea confirm to me that he could best portray the charismatically evil Judge.
Matt Smith would be a perfect Judge.
They could just use special effects to make him bigger
Woody harrelson
The nearest I’ve seen to Blood Meridian on the screen is ‘The English’- it’s excellent. Whoever was involved with that should be signed up.
They need to lean into the violence and make the grittiest western in existence. Westerns are about to become trendy again, so let's start with Blood Meridian. As long as they realize the dark beauty that makes the book so appealing is necessary for the adaptation.
My favorite novel of all time, and I agree with McCarthy, the movie can be done but it won’t be easy. While Hillcoat wouldn’t have been my first choice for director, I do think if he takes the right swings he can prove tk be the right choice because of how good both The Proposition and Lawless are. The real test will be casting
Ghosts Of The Civil Dead might be my favourite movie. Hillcoat did very well with that.
Blood Meridian was the first Cormac McCarthy book I had read, after recommended by friend. It was a page turner after I got used to his style. I tried reading Sutree after that and couldn't get into it. Loved The Road, but so dark and lonely. And then saw the No Country movie and LOVED it. I still haven't read that one I don't think. I had some friends working on a screenplay for Blood Meridian as a hobby back in 2003-ish. Coen Bros or Paul Thomas Anderson could be amazing. Hell, Linklater would be interesting. I almost want to see proofs of concept and then vote on it, lol.
Impossible to authentically translate on to film ... Cormac was 😥the master of this type of story telling. The brutality within humans he infers in the book wouldn't be allowed. I read this book early 1990 ... and it still plays on my mind. The guy was a genius. Best American Author of his generation ... should be seen alongside Steinbeck. Ah, but whadda I know 😆I just love the guy!
I think he will be. I think the new generations of kids will be reading some McCarthy as a part of their curriculum
There is a lot of graphic violence in the book, but it you could always be smart and make a lot of it suggestive by having some things happen off camera that you can hear or capture with somebody's facial reaction to what's happening
Exactly. Just like the snuff film from the Counselor. It's pretty clear what happens yet it doesn't take away what from the savagery of the event.
No
@@Rancid_Sanity you'd rather go full graphic hahahaha maybe we can get a theatrical version and an unrated version
It will be very hard to pull off. A director with brass balls, Oscar worthy cinematography that lives up to McCarthy's prose and a perfect cast.
The day I finished reading blood meridian was the same day cormac died I was gutted
Very hyped to see how it turns out, I imagine Garret Dillahunt will be starring in it too
Best left on the page in all honesty. No other medium can do it justice and that is fine
Damn. Vincent Dinofrio as judge Holden would be the casting of a lifetime.
The rock as the judge
Well that's a good idea
nah it has to be Walton goggin, he's the best pick for Judge Holden
I think it would easily succeed as a show instead of a movie but who knows I will still be delighted if got a adaptation
Hillcoat made such a good adaptation of The Road that he should be given the reigns of Blood Meridian
Would the creative forces from 'Deadwood' bring any added value to an attempt to make the best of this project. They set a certain tone that was darkly impressive.
The book was amazing. Hard and gritty and just wow.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis needs to make the score for whoever directs it. I also think Andrew Domanick should look into this project
Zack Snyder as writer/director
The Rock as Judge Holden
Keven Heart as Glanton
The Rizzler as The Kid
Tom Holland as Toadvine
Drake and Kendrick as the two Jacksons
Mr Beast as the Ex Priest
Throw in a couple of the stranger things kids in there too and boom, you got a billion dollar movie right there.
Should just be Tarantino's last film, I mean he did Django and that film is heavy as hell in its own right(Yes I know Blood Meridian is on a different level)
Good call - he might be one of the few directors that could pull this off
for anyone that's not familiar with the story... it's actually just a small part of a very bloody time....i grew up there where the events occurs ... as a kid and, as well as, an adult, i searched for "lincoln's gold" which was the real life cause of all the bloodshed... never found it but the clues, hints stories that the "old timers' told me, and just some gut instincts took me from the swamp and sand of the colorado river to a little park at the bend on santa monica blvd in los angeles to vazquez's rocks/ hideout, to the gravesite of hi jolly in quartzside, az... and many places in between.... if one person really shines as the hero(ine) of those bloody events, then that person would be sarah bowman (known as the "first citizen of yuma arizona", "great western" and the "heroine of fort brown"... she saved olive oatman (some may recognize olive's photo as the pioneer woman with facial tattoos and for some reason was portrayed in the mini series "hell on wheels" and olive's family was massacred during those bloody events)... anyway, sarah was buried with full military honors and rank of a u.s. colonel at the presido in san francisco (she earned it)...and if anyone really deserves a movie portraying them, then sarah bowman sure does...
The problem is not just the savage violence. It's the lack of any sympathetic characters. Even though "the kid" is presented as a main character early on, it is not really his story. Oddly, this is one of the many strengths of the book, but it could only weaken a movie or limited cable series. In the book, the steady drumbeat of savagery comes to eclipse "the kid" until the violence becomes the book's central character, with a host of other characters (Toadvine, the Judge) only there to comment on it and philosophize about it. How do you make *that* into a coherent film?
Come and See. That's how
Read it twice and it is incredible. It should be made as read.
One of my favourite novels of all time. When I read it, I imagined Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Judge and Matthew McConaughey as Glanton. (I know McConaughey looks different than what the character is being described as, but who cares.)
I think if you focus more on emphasizing the philosophical aspects and characters while using suggestive cuts for the violence could work well if done correctly
Oh cool. I’m half way through the book at the moment. It’s brutal.
No matter who directed this book will never serve it any justice.Its an intense novel.
Just let the audience imagination cover what can only be implied to avoid censorship, an example would be a cutaway or the aftermath of a dead body.
I need this.
Is there a release date?
Make it a miniseries. People are more lenient with extreme violence if they can put it on a small screen and step away from it for a minute. The book has multiple set pieces that are more amenable to a four or five episode series rather than a two hour movie, and the pacing would get more relaxed so surreal elements would have more time to breathe.
John hillcoat is directing and I’m pumped
Movies need a good plot to be good, I'm afraid that's not the strength of Blood Meridian. Blood Meridian's strengths are the philosophy, theme, and narration put beautifully into words by Cormac and something that can't be easily reproduced on film. At best, it'll turn out to be your standard modern western action movie that will be quickly forgotten
Guy Pierce is the ONLY actor that could be Judge Holden.
Everything he is in makes me hate him even more each time. He is such a phenomenal actor to make you actually hate him & not the role.
If anyone has read Jaws and seen the film, it’s clear that you can make a successful film adaptation of a book, but you simply have to adapt it to the medium it will not be used. It is possible to make any novel into a great film, so long as the film doesn’t try to be exactly like the books, but keep the same spirit and themes in the story.
Back to the Jaws example. In the novel Chief Brody’s wife has an affair with Hooper. The mafia is heavily involved with the Mayor.
Spielberg wisely cut all that out and a lot more. And, Quint’s speech about his experience on the U.S.S Indianapolis gives a backstory to his character that is nowhere in the book.
I think the film adaptation of Blood Meridian will need to do something similar. Some of the violence will need to be cut, maybe even some characters. If they simplify the story, focus on the two primary characters, The Kid and The Judge, make it an epic yet more contained story, I think it can be done!
I also think a miniseries is a great idea too!
:)
If they could capture the brutality in the same way they did in “The Proposition” I think we’ll have something
I dont think blood meridian would work too well as a movie, i think it would definitely work great as a limited series though
Since covering the announcement of a Blood Meridian movie about a year ago, I've had a lot of people ask for an update, so this video will cover everything we know about the film as of 2024, as well as taking a deeper look at the failed adaptations that came before it. But I'm curious, do you think Blood Meridian will work as movie or is it really one of those stories that only works as a novel? 🤔
Not possible even in the multiverse.
Series possibly toned way down.
I would like to comment that I would really love to see this made into a movie. Even if it gets a non rating or a X rating. The story deserves to be shown on film. Without cutting out the brutality.
Orson Welles would have been Awesome as the judge ...That voice! .Shame he died when the book came out .
In the Age of Streaming, tell me why movie ratings matter again?
I don't know how you could do this novel justice.
Somebody should/could make an animated movie.
I'd definitely watch it.
I read the book.
I'm definitely going to read it again.
Strange days for sure and God's definitely watching...... and waiting.
PEACE.
Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now is The Judge.
I'm not sure who could play this role. Maybe Holt McCallany with a different version of "The Beast" from "Shot Caller". Bardem nailed various parallels as Anton Chigurh with the philosophical preaching moments, but was different in that the judge can also charm and manipulate people in a social setting.
I'm sure McCarthy was inspired by Brando from Apocalypse Now when writing the character of the Judge. They share too many symiliarites for it to be a coincidence
Walton Goggin is the best pick for Judge Holden
If this isn’t a joke your actually slow for even considering him lmao
it should be an R rated show , not a long show , like a 4 part series or something
Stellan Skarsgard must play the judge. He was great as the harkonen emperor in dune.
Perhaps as a graphic novel, to tame the chock of the violence, but still use the script and the voices and expressions of the talented actors
Scalphunters was quite comedic in moments, not surprising given the four leading actors but yes this attempt would need to be several hours long and the actors well chosen
Vincent D'Onofrio would be the best casting ever for the judge's charater
One of the problems now is, given the social discourse we’re already submerged in, few will be able to handle the violence anytime a white man does anything to anyone nonwhite, which happens A LOT in the book. There isn’t much of a target audience equipped with the intellect (or coping mechanisms) to absorb what the story is trying to convey.
If they can make A Serbian Film, they can make Blood Meridian.
What happened to the project from the Coen Bros ?
JK Simmons as Judge Holden. Walton Goggins as Glanton.
It already year from announce of a movie. As I understand, because we don’t have any news about cast, movie was cancelled(again) after McCarthy death.