Walter Greatshell's "Mad Skills," the movie

Now showing at My Book, The Movie: Mad Skills by Walter Greatshell.

The entry begins:

I would love to see Mad Skills adapted into a movie, because the novel is a bit of a commentary on Hollywood action flicks. Like all my work, it’s deliberately cinematic, and unlike my Xombies books it could probably be done on a comparatively low budget. My ideal director for it would be someone with a powerful visual sensibility and a flair for harrowing action scenes, yet also someone who could really explore the heavy emotional terrain of Maddy’s dark journey…while not neglecting the humor. When I think of all those elements combined, I think of something like Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón—he would be a great choice. Also ideal would be Guillermo del Toro, who directed Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth.

In terms of actors, the lead role of Maddy Grant would have to go to an actress young enough to play the 15-year-old Maddy as a ditzy teen, but also mature enough to play the 17-year-old post-operative Maddy, whose artificially-enhanced brainpower causes her so much grief...and grants her so much power. My book describes Maddy as “pale, gangly-limbed, and freckle-faced,” so the actress playing her should be that type. Someone like...[read on]

Walter Greatshell's books include Xombies: Apocalypticon and Xombies: Apocalypse Blues.

Visit Walter Greatshell's website and blog.

My Book, The Movie: Xombies: Apocalypse Blues.

The Page 69 Test: Xombies: Apocalypticon.

Writers Read: Walter Greatshell.

The Page 69 Test: Mad Skills.

My Book, The Movie: Mad Skills.

--Marshal Zeringue