Apt Pupil (lost production material for unfinished film adaptation of Stephen King novel; 1987): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Ricky_Schroder.jpg|thumb|215px|Ricky Schroder, who starred as the main character.]]
{{InfoboxLost
Back in 1987, British director Alan Bridges began to film an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novella, '''''Apt Pupil''''' about a teenaged boy named Todd Bowden who realizes that a man who lives in his town is actually a Nazi war criminal named Kurt Dussander. Todd blackmails Dussander into telling him the gory details of the holocaust in exchange for not turning him over to the authorities. Over time however, the stories take their toll on the boy and he eventually turns to murdering homeless men to relieve his nightmares.
|title=<center>Apt Pupil</center>
|image=Differentseasonsking.jpg
|imagecaption=Collection of novellas including ''Apt Pupil''.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}


Child actor Ricky Schroder was cast as Todd and renowned British actor Nicol Williamson was cast as Dussander. About three fourths of the film were completed before the production ran out of money. The movie was summarily cancelled.
In 1987, British director Alan Bridges began to film an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novella, '''''Apt Pupil''''' about a Todd Bowden, a teenager who realizes that a man who lives in his town is actually a Nazi war criminal named Kurt Dussander. Todd blackmails Dussander into telling him the gory details of the holocaust in exchange for not turning him over to the authorities. Over time, his stories take their toll on Todd, and he eventually turns to murdering homeless men to relieve his nightmares.
 
Child actor Ricky Schroder played Todd while British actor Nicol Williamson played Dussander. Only about three fourths of the film was completed before the production ran out of money, and Bridges was forced to abandon the film.


The novella was later successfully filmed by Bryan Singer in 1998, starring Brad Renfro as Todd and Ian McKellen as Dussander.
The novella was later successfully filmed by Bryan Singer in 1998, starring Brad Renfro as Todd and Ian McKellen as Dussander.


Nothing has been seen or heard of the unfinished film by the public, and its current whereabouts are unknown, Stephen King himself has reported that he has seen the footage cut together and remarked that it was "really good".
Nothing has been seen or heard of the unfinished film by the public, and its current whereabouts are unknown. It was rumored that some of the screening tapes of the film circulated at a convention in 1987 and 1988, but nothing has surfaced since. Stephen King called what he saw of the film "really good".
 
==Sources==
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2875902/ IMDb page]
*[http://www.ew.com/article/1996/12/13/apt-pupil-runs-bad-luck 1996 Entertainment Weekly article about both the 1987 and upcoming 1998 film.]
*[http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?1478-Apt-Pupil-(aborted-movie)-1987 Dark Towers forum about rumored screening tapes]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apt_Pupil_(film) Wikipedia page for the 1998 film which mentions the 1987 film]


[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Lost films]]

Revision as of 23:13, 14 March 2016

Collection of novellas including Apt Pupil.

Status: Lost


In 1987, British director Alan Bridges began to film an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novella, Apt Pupil about a Todd Bowden, a teenager who realizes that a man who lives in his town is actually a Nazi war criminal named Kurt Dussander. Todd blackmails Dussander into telling him the gory details of the holocaust in exchange for not turning him over to the authorities. Over time, his stories take their toll on Todd, and he eventually turns to murdering homeless men to relieve his nightmares.

Child actor Ricky Schroder played Todd while British actor Nicol Williamson played Dussander. Only about three fourths of the film was completed before the production ran out of money, and Bridges was forced to abandon the film.

The novella was later successfully filmed by Bryan Singer in 1998, starring Brad Renfro as Todd and Ian McKellen as Dussander.

Nothing has been seen or heard of the unfinished film by the public, and its current whereabouts are unknown. It was rumored that some of the screening tapes of the film circulated at a convention in 1987 and 1988, but nothing has surfaced since. Stephen King called what he saw of the film "really good".

Sources