Over the years, Carnahan has been linked to numerous interesting projects that have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. Luckily, two of the most intriguing projects (“Killing Pablo,” “White Jazz”) remain on the table and, according to Carnahan, will now receive his full attention until he can get them made.
“I’ve waited so long to make ‘Pablo’ and now I have it kinda greenlit,” says Carnahan. “It’s basically ready to go. We’re going to the casting phase.”
“Pablo” is based on the book by “Black Hawk Down” author Mark Bowden and focuses on the joint efforts of U.S. and Columbian military to hunt down Escobar. Javier Bardem was initially attached to the role but now it looks like rumored casting choice Edgar Ramirez (“Che,” “Bourne Ultimatum”) is top of the pile, though Carnahan remains non-committal. “Edgar’s in the conversation, [but he’s] not 100 percent. There’s a couple other people in the conversation.”
If all goes well, Carnahan hopes to follow “Pablo” with another long-in-development project, an adaptation of James Ellroy’s “White Jazz.” Set in the late 1950s, “Jazz” follows the story of L.A.P.D. Lieutenant and occasional mob enforcer Dave Klein, who finds himself set up as the bait in a major FBI investigation into the rampant corruption of the L.A.P.D.
While Pablo is close, Carnahan admits it’s still a possibility that “Jazz” could go first. “If I had to have a prohibitive #1, it’s Pablo,” says Carnahan. “‘Pablo’ will go first, absolutely. Unless ‘White Jazz’ lands because it’s L.A. and I could do it and sleep in my own bed at night. That might knock ‘Pablo’ out of the top spot.”
Early buzz on “The Grey,” which opens January 27th, has been largely positive. Carnahan hopes to ride that wave of goodwill and focus on time with his family and those projects that mean the most to him personally. “Right now I just want to spend some time with my kids. I just want to be around. If it’s not ‘Pablo’ or ‘White Jazz’ or something that just burns, I don’t have the time.”
Grace aux bons retours sur The Grey, Carnahan va enfin pouvoir faire Killing Pablo (à priori Greenlight et en cour de casting) et peut être White Jazz par la suite.