According to reports, Amblin Entertainment has approached Norwegian director Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales), to offer him the role of director for the film adaptation of Micro. The film is based off of a science fiction book written by Jurassic Park creator Michael Crichton prior to his death.
Micro was published in 2011, posthumously after Crichton’s death in 2008. The partially-finished novel had been found on his computer, and was completed by author Richard Preston. It follows a team of graduate students from Harvard University (Crichton’s alma mater) who find themselves shrunk to miniature size while exploring the jungles of Hawaii, and must rely on their own skills and knowledge of the environment to survive. It seem that Amblin Entertainment is hoping for a franchise, similar to that of Jurassic Park.
Crichton had done just about everything. He wrote books and screenplays, directed films, and was a certified medical doctor. The hit HBO series Westworld is based off of his 1973 film, which he both wrote and directed. Crichton is also well-known for his work on the small screen, being the creator of the successful medical drama series ER, which ran for 15 seasons. Another new novel of his called Dragon Teeth, the third work to be published posthumously, will be coming out next month.
Rønning, although relatively unknown stateside, is a well-known director in his home of Norway. Normally, Rønning co-directs films with his directing partner Espen Sandberg (with whom he is directing Pirates of the Caribbean 5). Their feature film debut Bandidas starred Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek. Their 2012 film Kon-Tiki was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. They also directed the first two episodes of tv series Marco Polo for Netflix. It has not been announced that Sandberg has been given the same offer for Micro, so this may mean that if Rønning accepts, this will be his first directing gig on his own.
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