The folks over at Film Divider (via Coming Soon) have revealed the specifics of what British filmmaker Edgar Wright has been up to since he bowed out of Marvel’s Ant-Man last year. In a surprising – and utterly exciting – turn of events, it transpires that Wright has recently submitted a script revision for Sony’s Dodge And Twist. If the name hasn’t rung a bell, then perhaps you weren’t paying attention during English.
The project originated back in 2013 when the studio jumped on The Odd Life Of Timothy Green scribe Ahmet Zappa’s original spinoff idea. Described as a steampunk sequel to Charles Dickens’ classic work of literature, Oliver Twist, Zappa’s take would pick up 20 years after the events of that novel. Two decades on, Oliver is now a police officer who is still at loggerheads with the Artful Dodger, who now attempts to steal the crown jewels. The story is expected to pilfer elements from various Dickens novels, and will include a badass Queen Victoria.
According to today’s report, Wright has recently turned in his first draft after previous efforts by Cole Haddon and Simon Beaufoy have been scrapped. It’s thought that Wright’s version is a total rewrite of those earlier scripts, and may wind up in the hands of two big-name stars. Rumoured to be in the running are The Theory Of Everything‘s Eddie Redmayne, who’s hotly tipped to bag the Best Actor Oscar, and current webhead, Andrew Garfield. This is major speculation (particularly Garfield’s involvement) at this stage, but both would suit the roles of Twist and Dodge to a T.
Circling back to the man at the keys, Wright made the headlines last year when he exited Marvel’s next big screen property, Ant-Man. Since his departure he’s taken his time in choosing future projects; a move which now promises several good prospects for the director. He’s working on car chase caper, Baby Driver, while also adapting the YA novel, Grasshopper Jungle, both of which will find him in the director’s chair. Hence his sole commitment to the Twist sequel is its screenplay.
Produced by The Amazing Spider-Man‘s Matt Tolmach and Zappa, Dodge And Twist is still in the early embryonic stages of development. As always though, we’ll keep you posted when any further news lands.
