Roman Polanski to direct Pompeii
Story by Jack Foley
ROMAN Polanski is to direct an adaptation of Robert Harris’ acclaimed best-selling novel, Pompeii, about the legendary Roman town that was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.
Harris’s novel is set over a period of just four days and follows the fortunes of a young engineer, Marcus Attilius Primus, who arrives in the town from Rome with plans to restore a vast aqueduct that supplies Pompeii and eight other towns.
Also involved are Ampliatus, a former slave turned corrupt millionaire, Corelia, his beautiful teenage daughter, and the great Pliny, admiral and scholar.
According to industry magazine Variety, the budget for Pompeii is set at $130 million, making it Polanski’s biggest film to date.
But if the novel is anything to go by, it should be something special, with plenty of romance, conspiracy and violence set against the backdrop of the climactic eruption.
Hollywood has, of course, struggled to make as big an impact with volcano movies as it would have liked. The last two – Dante’s Peak and Volcano – did not perform as well as anticipated at the box office.
But Polanski could well provide a Midas touch, especially in light of history’s continued fascination with the events at Pompeii and the predictions surrounding the possibility of a new Vesuvius eruption.
There is no word on casting as yet.