Billy Bob Thornton's Floyd Collins Movie

TV news story about Billy Bob Thornton's plan to make a movie about the Floyd Collins tragedy of 1925. Floyd Collins was a cave explorer who got trapped in a Kentucky cave, in what is now Mammoth Cave National Park. Rescuers were able to reach Floyd, but they could not get him out of the cave, because his foot was stuck under a rock in a tight space. Billy Bob Thornton's plan to make a movie about Floyd was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter: 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. 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. (end of Hollywood Reporter article) (General notes of interest): Other projects that Billy Bob Thornton reportedly has in various stages of development include: "Peace Like a River," produced by David Brown, Kit Golden, Kristin Hahn, Brad Pitt and Alicia Sams: "Zero Theorem" (announced), to be directed by Terry Gilliam and produced by Dean Zanuck, Harrison Zanuck, and Richard D. Zanuck; and "Tulia," co-starring Halle Berry in a film based on Nate Blakeslee's non-fiction book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town." Billy Bob Thornton has also reportedly signed to produce "Three Nights in August" which will be a baseball movie based on Buzz Bissinger's book about the 2003 series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. The story focuses on Cards manager Tony LaRussa. Billy Bob will produce along with Red Bird Cinema managing director John Loar. Writer-actor Kevin Pollak, La Russa and Bissinger will executive produce. Side note: Roger Brucker has written five books about cave exploration at Mammoth Cave. His newest is Grand, Gloomy, and Peculiar: Stephen Bishop at Mammoth Cave. It is based on the true story of Stephen Bishop, a slave who gained fame as a guide and explorer at Mammoth Cave in the early 19th century.

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Entertainment

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• floyd
• collins
• billy
• bob
• thornton
• cave
• caving
• tragedy
• entrapment
• explorer
• trapped
• underground
• sand
• movie
• film
• roger
• brucker
• robert
• murray
• mammoth
• national
• park
• skeets
• miller
• pulitzer

[KathrynKeats]

I smell Oscar! Thank you, Mr. Brucker, for writing this book. This is going to be incredible with Billy Bob Thorton. He will evoke the hell, the fear, the pain, the surrender of what it must have been like to be incapable of moving, waiting for others to save his life, no where to go but to himself Who will play the brave journalist? Great film, for sure. OSCAR!!

[bLoNdcHiLi]

That would be a cool movie, I hope Billy Bob gets to make it.

[AmericanCaveMuseum]

Floyd Collins enthusiasts are invited to attend the 2nd annual Floyd Collins Fest on April 16 - 18, 2010 at the American Cave Museum in Horse Cave, Kentucky. The event features author Roger Brucker, exhibits, field trips, a Collins documentary and rare film clips, and a live old time radio show. For more info call (270) 786-1466.

[FRDndsn]

"Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins" has just been released as an audio book by Blackstone Audiobooks. Go to blackstoneaudio dot c o m and click "new releases." Or you can stil get the actual book through the usual outlets.

[TXas101]

I'm not sure what book you might be thinking of from the 60's, but the best book about the Floyd Collins tragedy is "Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins" by Robert K. Murray and Roger W. Brucker (the guy being interviewed in this video). It's nonfiction, but it reads like a suspense novel. There's more info about it on Brucker's site, which is rogerbrucker followed by dot and com. (I can't spell it out, because for some reason YouTube doesn't allow such postings in viewer comments.)

[Harleypilot767]

Thankyou for putting this on here. The recent story in the news about the man dying in the cave Nov2009 reminded me that I had read about something similar when I was a teenager back in the 60's. It was a chapter in my book about Rocks and Minerals but I don't remember the name of the book. I wish I could find it. I did after seeing this youtube post however remember that it was definitely Floyd Collins I read about.. I guess we never really forget anything. Thankyou. May Floyd rest in Peace

[DementedCaver]

I really do hope that this movie gets made (and that it doesn't suck).

[BLShaeffer]

I have a copy of Trapped and read it back when I still caved regularly. Fascinating! And very scary! A movie would be really cool and if Roger Brucker is advising, it will be accurate.

[stavrostheclub]

I would surely love to see Billy Bob do this project. He would be perfect for the role! I heard about Floyd Collins after seeing the Kirk Douglas movie Ace In The Hole (The Big Carnival) but was disappointed that the movie wasn't about Floyd. And again, I hope Billy Bob decides to work on this.

[duffyhudson]

This would make an amazing film. I can't wait.

[jojo18212]

I like Billy Bob Thornton. My favorite roll of his would have to be Sling Blade. As far as Billy Bob directing a remake of the Floyd Collins story I think that it should be done. I did some caving when I was younger mostly in the state of Kentucky, some in Florida.