By As a pretty big Hunter Thompson fan, I was excited to hear that a Rum Diary movie was being made with Johnny Depp reprising the “thinly veiled Hunter Thompson,” role. Then, the movie got made in 2009, and nothing much else seemed to happen with it. Finally, after two years of waiting, the film finally has a release date of October 28th, as announced at CinemaCon by Bob Berney, president of theatrical distribution at FilmDistrict.
The Rum Diary is one of my favorite Thompson books, chronicling the story of a journalist who travels to Puerto Rico in the 50s and, through a burning desire to be more like Hemingway, basically marinades himself in rum. It’s largely based around Thompson’s own experiences working as a sports reporter for the San Juan Star in the early 60s. It’s not quite as manic as the much-beloved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but it’s still a classic, and I’m excited to finally see this hit the big screen in October.
[Via Vulture, Via Variety]