UPDATE: Earlier this week I posted a News update about Fabien Martorell, the man who currently has the film option to adapt Snuff.  He informed me that Daryl Hannah, Thora Birch and Tom Sizemore were on board.

The next day, SlashFilm, a respected and very popular movie site that I frequent, posted this story: 

http://www.slashfilm.com/anticasting-update-scar/?utm_source=feedburner&...

Here was the portion of the story that concerned this bit of casting news Fabien told me:

But Jeff Snieder from Variety was quick to call out the casting as premature via Twitter. (“Absolutely NO TRUTH to THORA BIRCH doing SNUFF. Hasn’t even read a script. Got a vehement denial. THIS IS WHY YOU CHECK IT WHEN TALENT TALKS.”) And Deadline chimed in with an equally vehement denial for Daryl Hannah, relaying that her reps say she’s never heard of the project. Furthermore, given that she speaks out against sex trafficking, she is ‘embarrassed’ by the association. (Now, I haven’t read Snuff, and the plot sounds rather horrifying, but it also sounds like something that would actually make the sex industry in general and porn specifically look pretty bad and damaging. Perhaps I’m wrong.) So: for now, not happening.

Upon seeing this news, I immediatley emailed Fabien to get him to comment on the development.  Today his rep contacted me with this official statement:

Daryl Hannah and Thora Birch's Agent sent us LOIs (Letter of Intent) with his signature to express their interest in Snuff. After mutual consideration, we have decided not to follow up our collaboration. Tom Sizemore is, of course, still on-board.

At this point, Fabien is moving on with other casting, but he assured me again today, that Tom Sizemore is still on board.

Big casting news! Daryl Hannah, Thora Birch and Tom Sizemore locked.  Details. read more »

In the last three years we've seen first Haunted then Rant and then Invisible Monsters all have their movie rights optioned.  To date there doesn't seem to be any substantial progress on any of those projects.  So I tend to not get my hopes up too much whenever another book advances to this first stage towards becoming a motion picture.  Still, the tiny fanboy in me always gets a little excited by the prospect of seeing another one of Chuck's books up on the big screen.  So I will always diligently champion and help foster buzz on these projects as they start this near-impossible task of getting a production greenlight.

This time the movie being developed is for Snuff, Chuck Palahniuk's 2008 novel about porn star Cassie Wright and the largest attempted gang-bang ever to be recorded on screen.  The rights have been optioned by French filmmaker Fabien Martorell.  Fabien is an award winning director who recently moved to Los Angeles.  He directed the feature-length documentary TROMATIZED, MEET LLOYD KAUFMAN and has two other feature scripts in development.  read more »