Nordling here.
Say what you will about Sean Penn's politics - and I'm sure you will - but Penn is a pretty damn good director. INTO THE WILD remains a remarkable film, and I think THE INDIAN RUNNER is a fantastic directorial debut that anyone would be glad to have in their roster. And although Penn was originally set to make THE COMEDIAN, with Robert DeNiro and Kristen Wiig, his next project, it seems that movie has been put on hold for now.
Instead, according to Variety, Penn will make CRAZY FOR THE STORM, a survival movie along the lines of INTO THE WILD, and based on true events. 11-year-old Norman Ollestead (who wrote the book on which the film is based) is flying with his father and his father's girlfriend when the plane slams into the San Gabriel Mountains. Norman's father is killed, and Norman Jr. must use the knowledge he gained from his many adventures with his father to make it off the mountain and back home, alone in a blizzard. The story sounds amazing, and I think I'll have to track down the book myself and check it out. This will be Penn's first directed film since INTO THE WILD, and the book will be adapted by Will Fetters.
No word on casting yet, and I'd imagine it will be difficult to find the actor to play young Norman. But I'm glad to see Penn behind the camera once again, and this sounds like a terrific movie for him.
