Michel Gondry takes on Philip K. Dick masterpiece, Ubik
February 17, 2011
Director Michel Gondry has been launching ambitious new projects in a variety of different media and genres at a James Franco-like clip. Just a few weeks ago, he announced he would follow “The Green Hornet” with a documentary on legendary linguist/anarchist, Noam Chomsky. Then, at this week’s opening of his interactive filmmaking exhibit, “Factory Movie Lovers” at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Gondry revealed that he was developing an adaptation of Philip K. Dick‘s beloved science fiction tome, Ubik. This on top of his role as an avant-garde mogul producing experimental films, commercials, music videos, and art installations via his NY-based mini-studio, Partizan.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” screenwriter, Steve Zaillian, has partnered with “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” producer, Steve Golin, to produce Gondry’s adaptation of “Ubik.” Gondry is not the first, but he’s definitely the most idiosyncratic and high-profile filmmaker to take on the task of bringing Dick’s logistically and thematically complex sci-fi allegory to the big screen. Widely considered Dick’s definitive masterpiece (Time magazine named it one of its top 100 English-language novels), Ubik follows, Joe Chip, a security technician hired to block telepathic spying, on a disastrous mission to the moon which turns his reality upside-down. When Chip returns to earth suddenly he’s bombarded with mysterious messages about a miraculous healing agent dispensed in aerosol cans called Ubik as parts of his reality slip anachronistically into the past. All this complexity is rife with meaning and there been no end to the interpretations of Dick’s intent. In fact, many have speculated that “The Matrix” was inspired by Ubik.
Most importantly, this is a Philip K. Dick book. So it’s, above all, profoundly, absurdly funny — which makes it perfect material for Gondry, the rare visually innovator who grounds his fantasias in deeply resonant human emotion. Exhibit A: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Exhibit B: “Human Nature.” Exhibit C: “The Science of Sleep.” (“Be Kind,Rewind:” Not so much.) I like to think of Gondry as a more grounded and disciplined director from the Terry Gilliam school of visual visionaries.
It’s exciting to think about the cool gadgets, spray cans, and surreal moonscapes Gondry will dream up for what’s sure to be a seriously spendy project, if done right. It’s hard not to start indulging in a little fantasy casting of the book’s major characters: Ryan Gosling as Joe chip; Tim Robbins as Glen Runciter; Charlotte Gainsbourg as Pat Conley; Kate Winslet at Ella Runciter.
Tags: Michel Gondry, Philip K. Dick, Steve Zaillian, The Green Hornet, Ubik
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The Man in the Highcastle would probably be Dick’s masterpiece.
agreed. But this one is pretty good too.
…You mean, Time Magazine got something wrong? Shocking! then too, there’s always ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ ‘Timothy Archer’, ‘Dr. Bloodmoney’, ‘Gallactic Pot Healer’, Divine Invasion’ etc. and so on.
Personally, I think The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is Dick’s best work. The trilogy of religious books that started with Valis near the end of his life comes in at a close second. When I was a kid, my first book I read by Mr. Dick was Dr. Bloodmoney which was hilarious. I just finished Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said which, like all but his potboilers written for $$ was classic. Even the potboilers show his genius shining through. Philip K. Dick is one of the best writers of the 20th century.
I picture Joe Pantoliano as Joe Chip…
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” could also be his masterpiece, but Ridley Scott beat Michael Gondry to it.
“Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said” Phillip K. Dick’s Masterpiece.
The best of- High Castle will never be done- But[“Do Androids..” is a all time classic as Bladerunner. Others are mixed blessings -The works still inspire and marvelous events become revealed-
Can’t wait for this… It’ll be a mind-bender for sure. UBIK is my fave PKD book.
what about Valis
Vast Active Living Intelligence System
someone needs to redo Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep with the whole story, The main Earth religion is Mercerism, in which Empathy Boxes link simultaneous users into a collective consciousness based on the suffering of Wilbur Mercer>>>>>>
I agree with the vote for VALIS, but I’m still very excited to see Ubik. The other books mentioned on here are also great.
Ps JP I agree with you whole heartedly, I liked the attempt that they made with Blade Runner, but Mercerism was a key factor in Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep and they left it out completely. Most everyone I know who has seen the movie has been bored to tears by it, and I sit in Anguish and hand them the book and then I tell them this is what you missed…. The only thing they got right was there were androids and a Guy Named Deckard… LOL
Rick Deckard – Call home, your sheep is dead.
A very, very great book! This is my favorite PKD. If it is done well in movie format, it will be brilliant.
“Ubik drops you back in the thick of things fast! Taken as directed, Ubik speeds relief to head and stomach. Remember: Ubik is only seconds away. Avoid prolonged use.”
“JUMP IN THE URINAL AND STAND ON YOUR HEAD.
I’M THE ONE THAT’S ALIVE. YOU’RE ALL DEAD.”
VALIS Trilogy for the win!
I think that “The world that jones made”, is one of my favorites but I own everything that man has written. Love his writing. I just hope that, they pull this off. They are going to have to stay true to the book… anything else will just confuse the viewer. I can’t wait to see it either way .
Very exciting about this project. Isn’t this the novel where many people are living half-lives and can be re-animated for short periods of time, and where many people volunteered to be cold-storaged until a cure was found for their disease, but the world had grown so populous that there is no way they can ever be unlocked onto the world again, no matter if they found the cure or not?
I liked the 3 Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich also. I think it’s a classic, and I think it was done once by an English outfit, but I’ve never seen it.
VALIS is the masterpiece for philosophers, the Man in the Highcastle is his award winning masterpiece while he was alive, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is his masterpiece for people who have never read it but love Blade Runner.
Ubik, Time out of Joint, Three Stigmata, Flow my Tears, all of these are really great books. In fact, they sort of add up together as one work.
I look forward to this movie by Chondry.
I usually see anything he does. This should be a good one.