Bruce Robinson's The Rum Diary

Bruce Robinson is back everybody!! Everyone knows him for his cult comedy Withnail and I (1987), a semi-autobiographical piece written about his time as a jobbing actor back in the late 60's/early 70's, (Robinson had appearances in the likes of Romeo and Juliet (1968) and The Music Lovers (1970)). Sadly, Robinson could never emulate the success of Withnail, he followed it up with films like How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989) and Jennifer Eight (1992), and he'd turned his back on directing, and continued writing. He did a few screenplays and even wrote a few novels. Now, he's being lured back to directing!! It's with a project that's been around for a while now. Based on a book written by the great Hunter S. Thompson, (it was written back in the 1960's, but it wasn't published until 1998. Plus, Johnny Depp is in it too!! (His second Thompson-adaptation after the brilliant Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). It's been a while in development hell since 2000, but The Rum Diary is finally coming to the big screen!!

Set in 1958, it follows Paul Kemp (Depp), a journalist from New York who accepts a job at The Daily News, a small newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he works under Lotterman (Richard Jenkins). The film follows Kemp's exploits at the newspaper and in San Juan, including a lot of hard drinking amongst Kemp and his fellow expatriates who work at the newspaper.

The original book is a good read, Thompson really did work in San Juan in 1960, where he worked for an 1960 for an unsuccessful sports newspaper. Depp was friends with Thompson since 1996, when Fear and Loathing was in development, and they remained friends until Thompson's untimely death in 2005. The film was passed from producer to producer for nearly a decade, and was delayed several times. Benicio Del Toro nearly made his directorial debut with the film, but dropped out. Robinson was employed to do it in 2007, Depp is producing the film with Oscar-winning producer Graham King, who did The Departed and Blood Diamond. Now they've finally got the money and filming finally started. Rounding out the cast are Aaron Eckhart as rich landowner and Giovanni Ribisi as carousing journo Moburg.

Here's Depp on location in San Juan!!



So, it's finally being made, and it's good to see Bruce Robinson back directing again, he's been away too long, mainly to do with being disillusioned with the film industry. (Handmade Films still owe him money for Withnail, and he had a bad experience in America with Jennifer Eight.) Can working with Depp bring him back into the spotlight?? When you think about it, Depp is back in the Carribean, and he's at the Rum again, but he's not a pirate this time... :: But, it's good to see him dabble with Thompson's work again, and it already has a good cast and a good director. It's due for release sometime next year, I hope it does well.

This sounds like it could be the best thing Robinson's done (I don't like Withnail all that much). With Depp on board, chances are I'll love it!

"Try and look normal"

I take it you'll be seeing this.

I most certainly shall!

Will it match the first time he played Thompson though??

Bruce Robinson and Aaron Eckhart talk about The Rum Diary!!