Whenever we hear the word “DeLorean”, our minds automatically turn to thoughts of gunning it to 88 mph and zooming into history with a fiery blaze. But apparently for filmmakers, hearing “DeLorean” makes them think classic biopic. At least that’s the way it seems considering that there are currently three movies about the automaker known as the “Detroit dream merchant” in the works. Get the who-what-why after the jump.
Everybody has been wanting to do the John DeLorean story for a while now, but the famous car maker/acquitted-drug-trafficker refused to allow it, up until his death in 2005. Now, Time Inc./XYZ Films, Brett Ratner, and producer David Permut are all developing versions of DeLorean’s life and struggles to keep his failing car company afloat.
Over in Ratner’s corner there’s James Toback writing and Robert Evans producing. Time/XYZ have the rights to old Time Inc. articles, Hillel Levin’s Grand Delusions , and a 500-page, unpublished memoir by the man himself to draw on, as well as the cooperation of DeLorean’s son and his business partner. Meanwhile, Permut is using life rights from DeLorean’s longtime attorney, Mayer Morganroth — which means their story will come from his point of view.
As far as the why, as Nick Spicer of XYZ Films has said, “It is almost like an updated ‘Citizen Kane’ story of the great American entrepreneurial hero and how it all went wrong.” Audiences love watching a good rags to riches story — especially when it involves an inevitable fall from grace.
Will you be lining up to see one of these DeLorean stories or is everything you want to know already in Back to the Future ?