MOVIE NEWS – There are many book adaptations in Hollywood those days. The novels of Stephen King, for example were almost all adapted in some form or another. Still, this latest adaptation should sound familiar to those, who like classic literature.

The classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, which was written in 1844 is coming back to the cinema, but this, it comes back with a twist on the material. According to a news, the film will have a modern day setting as opposed to 19th century France.

Not much is known about the film, besides the fact that it will take place in the criminal underworld, according to Deadline. William Eubank will direct it and the script will be written by Joe Pokaski. Eubank is maybe best known for directing the sci-fi thriller Signal, while Pokaski’s work includes several episodes of Underground, Heroes and two episodes of Daredevil.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a book written by Alexandre Dumas, who wrote other classic novels such as The Three Musketeers. The novel is a pure revenge story, and follows the story of Edmond Dantes, a first mate who is wrongfully imprisoned on the day of his wedding. With the assistance of his fellow inmate, Dantes figures out who set him up, escapes from the prison, and acquires a fortune and goes back to Paris under the name of The Count of Monte Cristo. He later exacts vengeance on those who did wrong against him, but his revenge is not without damage to the innocent.

The book has been adapted a dozen times, the first one dating back to 1934. The most recent flick that people may remember was back in 2002 and Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce both played in it. Take a look at the trailer for that movie so it can give you an idea about the story.

So, with the modern setting we could be in Los Angeles or another big modern city. It’s hard to tell how much of the original novel will carry over to the film, but it’s most likely that the essential of the story will remain intact. It’s unlikely that there will be swords or treasure hunts. I’m sure devoted readers of the book will be shocked, reading that its historical setting is gone, but films have been telling the Monte Cristo those revenge stories for years, whether consciously or not. It could work in a modern day as long as they don’t change the basic story.

Finally, let’s not forget, that there will be actually another adaptation being made by David S. Goyer, which will be a graphic novel approach to the material – think Batman in the 19th century.

What do you think? Is this a good idea, or not? If you’ve read the book, tell us your opinion.

The Count Of Monte Cristo, trailer of the 2002 movie: