David Frankel is not exactly known for his genre work unless that genre is romantic comedies and dramas. The director of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, MARLEY AND ME, and the birdwatching comedy THE BIG YEAR will stretch his filmmaking skills by helming a scifi…romance.
Frankel will direct DEPARTURE for production company Good Universe from a screenplay by CAPTAIN PHILLIPS’ Billy Ray. The original screenplay is inspired by a true story from the book GHOSTS OF THE AIR which follows supernatural phenomena encountered by airline pilots.
The film will be set in Miami in 1973 and finds a genius investigating how a 727 disappeared into thin air, only to reappear in the exact same spot ten minutes later. As the phenomenon spreads to other planes in the sky, our hero’s world is thrown into chaos – and he’s given extra drive – when someone he loves is on one of the craft affected.
The film currently has no distributor, but expect once a cast is announced for that to be the next step. There is currently a market for romantic films that are not comedies and giving the story a paranormal bend may make it more palatable for male audiences. The question is whether it is done right or too heavy-handed in it’s execution. If done well, this could follow in the footsteps of a movie like GHOST, another paranormal romantic drama helmed by a filmmaker known for comedies.
