Penhall’s a Butcher

Only a handful of you have gotten the opportunity to see THE ROAD already, and I am not one of you unfortunately, but the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s classic novel seems to be overwhelmingly sending out good vibrations, thanks in part to the screenwriting of Joe Penhall.

But now with that behind him, Penhall is turning his attentions toward BUTCHER’S CROSSING, a western novel from John Williams (not THAT John Williams) about a guy who drops out of Harvard in the 1870s and moves across the country to chase buffalo herds, which I guess was the 19th century version of joining the Peace Corps and getting a Chinese character tattoo.

If Penhall’s involvement wasn’t enough, Sam Mendes is circling the project to direct, so between the two of them, it’s not unreasonable to expect a few nominations at some point for this Harvard/buffalo tale of adventure.