Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Smasher Goes to the Movies

Keith here.

Don't tell anyone since it hasn't been officially announced yet, but we've sold an option on my Smasher: A Silicon Valley Thriller to a pair of award-winning scriptwriters. I know the chances of seeing it on the screen are about the same as a Wall Street banker turning down her bonus, but like Willy Loman, a man "is got to dream." So humor me, will you, and play along?

Who should play the protoganist Ian Michaels? He's 37 or so, about six feet tall, dark hair. He's a Silicon Valley workaholic and a pretty good runner? Here are some candidates my kids and wife came up with.

Chris O'Donnell? Kind of a pretty boy. I don't think so.


My kids are big fans of the show "Chuck" starring Zachary Levi. But he seems like such a doofus.

Leo DiCaprio? Well, he is a genuine movie star and we'd get funded if he opted in, wouldn't we?

And what incredibly talented actor can take on Rowena Goldberg, 30, top homicide prosecutor and marathoner who's married to the aforementioned Ian? She's about 30, 5' 4", and brunette.

Here's my first pick to play Rowena, but I'm told she's no longer available. Sigh. If only.


Natalie Portman? I could definitely go with her. Like Rowena, she's even Jewish.



This is Jill Flint from another of my kids' favorite shows, "Royal Pains."




Rebecca Hall who played Vicky in Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" has an American mom and can do a credible American accent.


Finally, there's the scene-stealer part -- Ricky Frankson, Silicon Valley billionaire and fan of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Here's the description from the book:

"All in all, Frankson looked about as good as a man of sixty-one could look. A field of wavy black hair showed nary a gray strand that might betray his age. A deep notch divided his eyebrows, but the forehead above them was unlined and his cheeks were smooth. The girth of his biceps, half-hidden by the sleeves of the T-shirt, substantiated the rumor that his early morning routine included weightlifting in a home gym. Scuttlebutt also had it that he invested tens of millions in biotech companies researching life extension. Maybe he was a beta tester. Or maybe he had a portrait up in his attic that aged in his stead."

If George got the part, I'm pretty sure my wife would accompany me to the premiere.


Who plays driven better than Al Pacino?


Can't wait to hear your candidates. And if any bankable actors want to throw their hats in the ring, just let me know by leaving a comment. I'll pass your name along.

15 comments:

Lisa Bork said...

Congratulations, Keith!! Wow, big time exciting! I love Natalie Portman; she gets my vote. Not sure about the males, though.

Lois Winston said...

I'd go with Natalie, Leo, and George. Huge congrats, Keith!

G.M. Malliet said...

I agree with Lois - those are my exact picks.
This is SUCH great news, Keith!

Darrell James said...

Awesome! Congratulations, Keith! Any movie with Pacino can't miss. That's my vote. As for the lead?... let's see, I'm free next summer. Thanks for asking!

Carol Grace said...

How exciting is this! I don't know, I just don't know who to pick. What about screen tests? Don't they do those anymore? These are potential Oscar-winning roles so take your time.

Keith Raffel said...

I appreciate the congrats, but this is still a tremendous longshot. Still, it's worth trying. As Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Darrell, you as Ricky? Great idea.

Alan Orloff said...

Congrats, Keith! Of course, the natural choice for Ricky Franson is...you!

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

Huge congratulations, Keith!!! I love Natalie Portman and I think Pacino would be perfect. Not sure about Ian though. Talk, dark and handsome, late 30's with a runner's build - maybe Ben Affleck? Or Orlando Bloom?

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

Keith, as someone who has had a couple of options on her work, yet none go into production, I can tell you, yes, it is a long shot - but what a rush just thinking and dreaming about it!

Keith Raffel said...

Alan, I guess I am just nefarious enough to be Ricky. Thanks for the idea. (Sidney Greenstreet didn't make his movie debut till he was 62, so I have a few years.

Keith Raffel said...

Sue Ann, Not sure Ian is handsome, more distinctive and maybe a little nerdy. And yes it is fun to dream. Seeing a script should give my imagination a boost, too.

Kathleen Ernst said...

Huge congratulations! You've got exactly the right attitude--dream big and have fun. I'm with your wife--snag George C. and I'm there.

Beth Groundwater said...

Congratulations, Keith! I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that the option gets exercised. I'm a fan of the Cusacks, John and Joan, though both of them wouldn't work.

L.J. Sellers said...

Congratulations! Exciting news. Longshot or not, enjoy the validation.

Keith Raffel said...

Kathleen, appreciate the vote of solidarity. All I have to do to get you to the movie is get George Clooney in it. Beth, wasn't it the Cusacks who chased my ancestors out of Russia? L.J., thanks and see you at Bouchercon!