Several days ago we reported that actor Dan Radcliffe was possibly in line to portray the late photojournalist Dan Eldon in a new movie. Today, the Guardian has more on this, featuring an interview with Kathy Eldon, the mother of the photographer, who says Dan will be portraying her son in this new movie. Quotage:
The film, Journey, will see Radcliffe play Dan Eldon, a 22-year-old who was among four journalists stoned to death by a mob in Mogadishu in July 1993. The timing is right and the person is right and I couldn't ask for more,' said Kathy, a journalist, producer and activist. 'He has portrayed a magician for years and my Dan was a different kind of magician. There are parallels in the two Dans' lives. Daniel Radcliffe is a poet, he keeps journals and he's half Jewish. He has a puckishness, sense of humour and energy inside him which remind me of Dan...'Daniel Radcliffe is the first time we've found a young enough actor with a global following. We love the way he's a global soul. He's travelled the world and feels comfortable in the world and hasn't been corrupted by Hollywood.'
While this sounds very exciting, we are trying to obtain official confirmation from Dan's reps, and will update with more on that when we can. Also, if this proves certain, we do not know when this film will be made, as Dan is currently filming "Half-Blood Prince," that continues until early spring of 2008, and is also set to return to the stage when "Equus" opens on Broadway in the fall of 2008. The story of "Journey" focuses on 22 year old Dan Eldon, a photographer who was brutally murdered in Somalia in 1993, when he and his colleagues Hansi Krauss, Anthony Macharia of Reuters and Hos Maina of the Associated Press were surrounded then stoned and beaten to death after an angry mobbed turned on the journalists in the aftermath of a bombing in Mogadishu. You can read more about Dan Eldon and see some of his remarkable photographs via this link, as well as learn more about journalists who are killed each year while bringing the news, here. Thanks Helena!
Amina, I think she wasn’t talking about you, she was talking about the people who try to hard to find something bad to say about a certain actor, and actually repeat themselves so much they made obvious they are always the same person.
And don’t change the subject just when you don’t know how to answer, you were saying certain things and now you say you didn’t say that and you were just talking about Somalia, well, that’s not true.
If you want to write about Somalia, do it, I think it’s off topic (you are even making people talk about genetic stuff! lol), but if Leaky doesn’t agree, then I had nothing to say, I’m not a moderator.
But if you are going to say things about a movie you have not seen, just because you watched other movies (which there is not any proof that related them with this one), or if you are going to say things about Mr Eldon who are not true, then I’m not fine with that and I’ll answer.
And I apologize to Leaky and everyone else for all this fuss…
I do hope this film isn’t TOO Indy to the point that it becomes largely forgotten. That said, it shouldn’t be a blockbuster formulaic thing either.
As for Dan’s thing for playing the Orphaned or the Doomed, so what? Al Pacino always plays loud and explosive characters and he’s one of the most respected actors period. Everyone has their schtick, and Dan seems to have found his. ANd even if it isn’t going to be his acting “tradition”, no matter. He’s getting practice either way.
So, back on-topic. Squee, I’m so excited! I think this is a great way for Dan Radcliffe to get better acting skills! Goodness knows he’s improved in Order of the Phoenix with anger since, “He was their friend”! Lol. Sorry Dan, I did love you back then too! I hope this movie works out for them. (Sorry, was that all completely incoherent?)
I have never said this story is not worth telling; the point I have been trying to make is that what context and how. As for American kids not knowing what happened in Somalia during Daniels stay, given the sheer force to silence me at this message board tells me they will not know it from this movie either. Ignorance can be a form of power.
There is nothing more to say from my end. I do understand that people like their categories clear and neat., but human stories are more complex and contradictory. But then again, Hollywood is not known for showing the human condition in complex and contradictory fashion. It is also clear that most contrabutors to this thread had specific worthy victim in mind and they have not been able to imagine, for example, a film about Ahmed!
Peace to all!
Amira, no-one wants to silence you, your were not just talking about Somalia like now you pretend. You said many things about Dan Eldon and this movie which are not true, and I just told you the real facts, I just told you to please read before prejudicing, do you think that’s trying to silence you? We are giving our opinion like you are doing. If some people think something is off topic I think they can say it too.
I have not said “American kids”, I’ve talked in general, you are obsessed with America, and that’s maybe the problem, because youe read about this movie and inmediately thought it was like any other movie you have seen.
And now you want them to see this movie? that’s not what you said at the beginning, but I’m happy you have realized this can be a good thing so the world will know more about the terrible things that had happened and still happen in your country.
What you were trying to say at the beginning at it seems you don’t remember now…is you would like them to spend the money making a movie that shows all the people who died these past years, well, you can write a script, send it to many producers and maybe you’ll see your dream come true, just like Dan Elsdon’s mother has done. You can not blame her for trying to make her dream come true. I know you have not, but you were implying like that, writing offensive this about this movie that you have not seen.
But repeating here again and again the same things won’t make your dream happen.
I’m not trying to silence you, I’m trying to tell you have already said what you wanted, there is no need to repeat it more times, now let the rest of the fans enjoy these news, because it seems you are the one trying to silence them.
I have nothing more to say.
I’m sorry, I wrote my last comment before reading yours, I’m happy we finally agree with something.
I just hope you can open your eyes and see that you don’t even know if this is a Hollywood movie, you are prejudicing so much. and even Hollywood do good movies, it’s not good to generalize.
I have not only a “worthy victim in mind”, but the fact that one story is not told in a movie doesn’t mean another story shouldn’t be told.
Like I said, if you want to see a movie about that, write it, after all you think you know a lot about it. So just don’t ask for it, do it, it’s very easy and comfortable to be writing in your warm house and criticizing something but actually doing nothing about it.
Dan Eldon’s mother is not like that, she worked hard to make this possible, maybe you could open your eyes and learn from her.
Bye and good luck to Dan for the movie!
Please do not think that we don’t care about the fact that you lost a member of your family. We know that is tragic, and that a story like that deserves to be told. But this particular story is Dan Eldon’s, and so that is what we are centering on. You obviously have your own opinions on things, and you have the right to those opinions, as well as the right to speak them. However, as people here have already told you, this isn’t really the place for it. I’m sure if you want to talk about those things, there are plenty of other places for it. This isn’t really one of them. I’m not saying leave – I wouldn’t dream of being that un-open. But please, consider what others are saying more fully before you post. If you think there should be a movie about Ahmed, I’m sorry, but we’re no filmmakers and we can’t make that happen, so it’s kind of pointless to ask us why we’re not invisioning that. I don’t want to sound insensitive, but it’s how it is.
So, moving on. I think Daniel Radcliffe would be excellent for this role!! Can we consider it confirmed? I guess not quite yet. But WOW would it be wonderful! I would see that movie. It sounds very inspirational. It seems like the kind of movie that, if they do it right, can be eye-opening when it comes to how we get news nowadays. (IMO, we don’t get it too well.)
Posted by Kimberly (perhaps not the first?) on December 30, 2007, 09:18 PM
report to moderator
It’s confirmed by Dan’s publicist – go to: http://www.danradcliffe.co.uk/
margoooo, I am with you Hollywood is about making movies that make money; and if anyone believe all that you see in a Hollywood movie then you need help.
Most of us know not to learn history from Hollywood..
Does it say this will be an American produced movie? I have not read all the article so I am not sure who is producing the movie but I did not think is was Hollywood. The only American-Hollywood produced film Dan has done so far is HP; I believe the others have productions by other countries. Lastly, if you don’t like American movies and the views they take them just don’t go see them it is as simple as that. If you want a movie for your view point then do as someone said above-write your story and bring it to a production company maybe they will buy it.
Congrats Dan I think you will be great in this role and keep picking things that will challenge you and keep picking great roles with lots or “meat” in them to stretch your acting chops.
You know..I never see this type of controversy regarding Dan’s acting roles on Dan sites respectively, however, this is probably the most pathetic thread I’ve ever seen here on Leaky.
To the fans: simple as this. You don’t like the content of the comments, DON’T CONTINUE TO VISIT THE SITE. If they are moderated in such a way as to allow extreme free speech and you don’t like it, then leave.
Amina was not bashing. She is stating what is a painful reality for her. Even though we are discussing a movie star what he will portray is not fantasy but the cold hard reality of war. It is political. That is a reality too.
Amina, my prayes go to you and you and your family and I am sorry to hear of your loss. You have the right to speak your peace and doing that is not bashing.
Amina, I think she wasn’t talking about you, she was talking about the people who try to hard to find something bad to say about a certain actor, and actually repeat themselves so much they made obvious they are always the same person.
And don’t change the subject just when you don’t know how to answer, you were saying certain things and now you say you didn’t say that and you were just talking about Somalia, well, that’s not true.
If you want to write about Somalia, do it, I think it’s off topic (you are even making people talk about genetic stuff! lol), but if Leaky doesn’t agree, then I had nothing to say, I’m not a moderator.
But if you are going to say things about a movie you have not seen, just because you watched other movies (which there is not any proof that related them with this one), or if you are going to say things about Mr Eldon who are not true, then I’m not fine with that and I’ll answer. And I apologize to Leaky and everyone else for all this fuss…