Feature Film Adaptations
of novels by
Whitley Strieber


 

The Nye Incidents
Status: In Development
Director: Todd Lincoln
Producers: Joel Silver, Andrew Rona, Alex Heineman, Daniel Alter
Production Company: Dark Castle Entertainment
Release Date: TBA


The Nye Incidents, written by Craig Spector from an idea by Whitley Strieber, is going to be filmed by Dark Castle, a division of Warner Brothers. The film will be directed by Todd Lincoln. The Nye Incidents is a fictional exploration of rumors that Whitley Strieber heard of possible human abductions. He says, “I was never able to prove that these happened, but they troubled me enough to where I felt the need to explore the matter in fiction.”
     In the Nye Incidents, a coroner finds herself confronting a series of horrifying murders that come to look more and more like cattle mutilations. As she investigates, she comes face to face with a burning question: serial killer or something much more bizarre?

 

 

 

2012: The War for Souls
(Not to be confused with Sony Picture's 2012 by Roland Emmerich)
Status: In Development Hell; Whitley believes (as of Jan 1, 2010) that this project has been “ditched”.
Director: TBA
Producers: Michael Bay, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Release Date: TBA


Strieber's story centers on an academic researcher who discovers that multiple versions of Earth co-exist in different dimensions, but all are threatened by an apocalypse to occur in 2012 prophesied by the ancient Mayans. By opening a portal into a parallel universe, he makes contact with his double to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled.
     Information presented above is sourced from an article by The Hollywood Reporter

 



The Grays
 Sony Pictures
Status: In Development Hell; Whitley believes (as of Jan 1, 2010) that this project has been “ditched”.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Producers: Cary Brokaw and John Calley
Writer: Ken Nolan

Sony Pictures will pay screenwriter Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) $3 million for his 75-page "script-ment" (less than a script, but more than a treatment) of Whitley Strieber's as-yet-unpublished alien SF novel The Grays, one of the studio's largest payments for a treatment, Variety reported.
     It's not clear who'll star in The Grays, but insiders say the lead role is intended for a woman, the trade paper reported.
      Producing the pic are Avenue Pictures' Cary Brokaw and former Sony Pictures chairman John Calley - the duo behind Sony's recent adaptation of the Patrick Marber play Closer. Calley and Brokaw also recruited Nolan to adapt Robert Littell's The Company, a novel that's part roman a clef, part family history of the American intelligence community. Avenue head of production Aaron Geller will supervise the project's development for Brokaw's shingle. At the studio, exec VP Andrea Gianetti and senior VP Sam Dickerman will oversee development.
     An ex-advertising executive, Strieber began his career as a novelist with the horror titles The Hunger and Wolfen, both of which were turned into feature films. More recently, Strieber co-authored with Art Bell a book about doomsday climate change, The Coming Global Super Storm, which served as the inspiration for Fox's The Day After Tomorrow. Strieber also authored a novelization of that film. He first gained national notoriety for his 1987 book Communion, about his alleged abduction by aliens. The Grays, unlike Communion, is a fictional exploration of the effect aliens have on mankind. It will be published by the Tor/Forge imprint in August of 2006.
     Information presented above is sourced from articles by Variety's Claude Brodesser and from reports by SciFi Wire


Producers Cary Brokaw & John Calley, producers of The Grays and the recent hit Closer.		 Dear Mr. Calley, I run a fan-site about author Whitley Strieber called BeyondCommunion.com. I am curious about whether The Grays is still in development?
     I haven't heard a peep out of Sony since last year's announcement that The Grays had been optioned and Ken Nolan was writing up a treatment. Thank you for any update you can share.

Yes it is. I understand that Sony is very pleased with Ken's progress.
Best wishes,
John Calley.
Tue, 18 Apr 2006

January 2009 UPDATE: The Grays in development hell
“They've spent a lot of money developing it; I have no idea whether or not it will ever happen, frankly. These movie studios... I just can't answer the question. Maybe one of these days they'll make The Grays, somewhere down the vast halls of time, I don't know. But as I say, they've spent a lot of money and so far not a single flip of film has been shot and I really can't, I really think it's unpardonable, frankly. ...I should know what's going on, and I don't.”
(Whitley Strieber Interviewed on Higher Vibrations,
KLAB 1230AM radio, January 2009)

September 2007 UPDATE: The Grays
Sony has announced that Wolfgang Petersen will direct The Grays.

November 2006 UPDATE: The Grays
Screenwriter Ken Nolan tells IGN’s Tim Clark “I am currently working on adapting Whitley Strieber’s THE GRAYS for Sony. Whitley has a magnificent sense of what can be truly real and terrifying. The film is supposed to go into production as soon as I turn in a great script—and I will, damn it—and it should be a great, terrifying film. Knock on wood.”

6 July 2006 UPDATE: The Grays
So far so good. Anne Strieber reports that “Whitley and I are living part time in California while we help produce the motion picture of his book The Grays.” They are available to Ken Nolan as Nolan hones the treatment; Whitley explains “I am not writing the script, but as an executive producer, I am thinking about creative aspects very hard, and communicating my ideas to the writer.”

18 Apr 2006 UPDATE: The Grays on the Silver Screen
We are extremely pleased to report that Sony Pictures' development of the feaure film of Whitley Strieber's new novel The Grays continues. This confirmation comes directly from one of the producers of the film in a reply to an inquiry from the Whitley Strieber fan site, BeyondCommunion.com. See letter on left.

 


 

The Day After Tomorrow
2004, 20th Century Fox
Director Roland Emmerich's “global-warming extravaganza rife with hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and the onset of the next ice age.” This is Emmerich's adaption of Whitley Strieber's story The Coming Global Superstorm, scripted by Emmerich and Jeffrey Nachmanoff (and to complete the circle, Whitley penned the novelization of their screenplay).





“They can hear a cloud pass overhead, the rythm of your blood. They can track you by yesterday's shadow. They can tear the scream from your throat.”

Wolfen
Directed by Michael Wadleigh
Screenplay by David Eyre, Michael Wadleigh
Starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines, uncredited cameo by Tom Waits
1981


Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge
Rare publicity stills from Wolfen:
Albert Finney; Finney with Diane Venora as Wilson & Neff.

Anne Strieber on the filming of Wolfen
(excerpted from Anne's Diary: Like Radar...But Different, Wednesday April 22nd, 2009)

...My favorite story of a good 'save' happened with the first film made from one of Whitley's books, “The Wolfen.” Besides keeping the wolves penned up in Queens and telling everyone they were German Shepherds when they woke up the neighbors with their howling, the producers had the extraordinary disaster of having the infrared film they were using to show the world through the Wolfen viewpoint burn up in the lab, destroying their special effects.
     It was too late (and probably too expensive) to film the effects over again and the story didn't make too much sense without them (plus the film was too short), so the producer filled the movie out by doing things like chasing a flock of birds up a flight of stairs so the cameraman could catch them all flying off the roof of the building (as if a Wolfen was after them).
     That film was a delightful introduction to movie making. One of the leads (I won't say who) was an alcoholic to the point of being almost catatonic. When Whitley asked the director if it was OK to go up and say hello to him, he said, “Sure, but don't be surprised at what happens." Whitley expected to receive a tyrannical tirade from him about being bothered, but what actually happened was?nothing. It was as if the actor hadn't heard him at all.
     Whitley was terribly agitated by this and went back to the director and said, “You have a problem, he's dead drunk!”
     The director said, “Oh, he's always that way: just watch.” When he called for this man to come onto the set, he suddenly came to life, took his mark, and said his lines perfectly. The scene was completed in one take. Afterwards, the actor went back to his canvas chair and slumped over again, seemingly dead to the world.
     All this just goes to show that in Hollywood, nothing is exactly what it seems to be.




“Nothing Human Loves Forever”


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Rare publicity photos from The Hunger: Catherine Deneuve with David Bowie, and David Bowie with Susan Sarandon
© 1983 MGM

 

The Hunger
Directed by Tony Scott
Screenplay by Ivan Davis, Michael Thomas
Starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon,
Cliff DeYoung, Beth Ehlers
1983


 

 

 







.


“Whitley, he's such a devil,” Walken says with a laugh. “He's a fascinating guy. He's eccentric, in a way that you usually find in England and Europe where people just go about their business and nobody pays attention. But he's an American, so it's different.”
Did the aliens really come for him?
“I believe that he believes it. When he describes these things—and lots of people have seen them, so I'm not talking about something really private—he really gets into it. I'm telling you, he's like a radio show. He does the sounds and the screams. Whitley has people come over to his house, people who had the same thing happen to them, and they all agree about what the aliens looked like. And they all seem perfectly. . . well, they all have jobs.”
—Christopher Walken
interviewed by Martha Frankel

Communion
Directed by Philippe Mora
Screenplay by Whitley Strieber
Starring Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse, Andreas Katsulas, Frances Sternhagen, Terri Hanauer, Joel Carlson
November 1989

Screenplay information: Communion: Screenplay is 102 pages. Strieber's original screenplay accentuated the terror of the experiences, whereas the director Mora encouraged Walken to accentuate the humor in the outrageousness of the experiences.

Trivia: Watch for the cameo appearance of the real Whitley Strieber and son in the Whitney museum scene.

Trivia: The text of the “book” that Whitley (Walken) is attempting to write on his glitch-prone computer is actually a description of films which have featured Perrier water product placements. In a later scene, Anne (Crouse) drinks a lemon Perrier.

Trivia: The Sci-Fi Channel announced in April 1999 that they would create a made-for-tv sequel, Beyond Communion, offering another opportunity to re-envision the events of Communion. But as of this writing, there have been no updates from the Sci-Fi Channel, suggesting their plans went astray.

Extra/Extended Scenes in the
Extended FOX TV Version & UK DVD

There are essentially 2 versions of Communion available. The “United States theatrical cut” (also used for cable-tv movie channels and all domestic video releases), and a longer “alternate cut” of the film shown on FOX television (which seems to be a European edition of the film, or a variation thereof).

Alex
Dancing with the Blue Boys
Face in Sky
Alternate End Credits
Extra/Extended Scenes: Anne finds young Andrew sitting alone in his school yard, feeling dejected on Halloween day. • When Whitley visits Dr. Freidman, he describes the visitors' eyes while watching a large-eyed salamander frolicing in the physician's aquarium. • When Whitley's Russian friend Alex (see pic) finds Whitley in the diner, he tells Whitley that in his native country as a child he heard stories of small beings called “Kobalds” who lived in mines, stories which he believes to be true. This extended scene explains Alex's later declaration of “They are real, Whitley!” • On the “ship,” Whitley dances with the blue boys after they exchange greetings (see pic), immediately before the start of the “magic show.” This extended scene (possibly the most infamous of them all) must have been deleted at the last minute from the studio version, since the soundtrack audibly breaks at this point in the studio version. This scene also explains Whitley's later statement to his wife that he “danced” with the beings. • The stars in the sky above their apartment building near the end of the film do not briefly seem to resemble a visitor's face (a sorely missed special effect insert seen in image on left). • The end credits roll over a night-time aerial view of the Strieber family standing on the shore with monuments and the city behind them. (The wind caused by the camera helicopter nearly blows Lindsay Crouse's hat off)(see pic).
     Besides the differences in the scenes above, on the FOX television version the brightness level of bright objects was boosted and digitally diffused; This creates a hazy glow around lights which adds to the ethereal atmosphere on the “ship,” and hides some of the flaws in the special effects. However, since the entire film was subjected to this treatment even the late afternoon sunshine streaming into Dr. Janet Duffy's office appears to be the Second Coming.
      Despite this brightness problem, this longer version of Communion is by far the best version of this film. Besides the occasional Fox broadcast, this long version is only available on the UK DVD, which is not compatible with American DVD players.

 DVD (US/Canada)

The Special Collector's Edition DVD released in the United States from Elite Entertainment in June 2000 was prepared in concert with the director. It presents the short “U.S. theatrical cut” of Communion, with an extensive selection of extras and remastered 5.1 sound. The film is presented in matted widescreen. NTSC format, Region 1.

DVD (UK)

UK DVD cover

 

 DVD (Australia)

Australia DVD cover:
Authorized release
DVD (Australia)
Australia DVD cover:
Unauthorized release
The UK DVD released in 2001 contains no extras, but it is the longer European version of the film with the New York skyline ending and the extra and extended scenes described above. It is presented unmatted. The director was not involved with the UK DVD release, but the visual quality of the transfer is reportedly very good. PAL format, Region 2, unmatted. Above is the Special Edition, identical in every way to the Special Collector's Edition DVD released in the United States, except in PAL format and with slightly different packaging. A sticker on the front touts this version as “the only authorized release in Australia” and the packaging highlights that the film has been remastered. PAL format, Region 4, widescreen.
An unconfirmed report has suggested that the commentary track is missing despite being listed on the package.		 Alternately, Australians can buy the longer European version of the film with the New York skyline ending and the extra and extended scenes described above. It is presented unmatted. The director was not involved with this DVD release and it is considered to be an unauthorized release. PAL format, Region 4, unmatted.

Laserdiscs
Communion laserdisc 1996
Image Entertainment (1990)
Lumivision (1996)
Widescreen Special Edition
View back cover

Laserdiscs were a format the existed before the invention of DVD. Laserdiscs were 12 inches in diameter, and had to be manually flipped over from side to side. Both a standard edition laserdisc (released in 1990 by Image Entertainment) and a widescreen special edition laserdisc (released in 1996 by Lumivision, LVD9543) of Communion were available. The widescreen special edition laserdisc presents some extras that have not been made available anywhere else (including not on the DVD editions).
     Both of these laserdiscs presented the short version of Communion. The term “special edition” on the 1996 widescreen special edition laserdisc refers only to a selection of extras that play after the end of the film.

Widescreen Special Edition Laserdisc: Extras
Can we talk about this?
Some of the extras on the widescreen special edition laserdisc are not available on the DVD

     Among the extras on the widescreen special edition laserdisc are a few seconds of the alternate end-credits scene (described above in the FOX television description), and the school-yard scene featuring young Andrew. These scenes are not incorporated into the film; they are shown afterwards as supplementary material.
      The widescreen special edition laserdisc also presents a few minutes of bloopers, improvisation, and outtakes, the most hilarious involving an actor identified as Tommy (costumed as a “Blue Boy”) attempting to probe Christopher Walken. Other outtakes illustrate the improvisational method by which some scenes were constructed. For example, to solicit impromptu reactions from Walken while he is aboard the ship, Mora voices to Walken (from off-camera) some of the lines which Strieber reported were communicated to him during his abduction, such as “we have a right to do this,” and “you are a chosen one.” These extras have only been made available on this widescreen special edition laserdisc; the DVD edition released later presents only brief excerpts, and even those excerpts are presented without the soundtrack (so you can't hear Walken cracking up about the failed probe attempts).
     Also featured on the widescreen special edition laserdisc is a commentary track by the director. (Note: this laserdisc's commentary track is not the same as the commentary track that appeared later on DVD). Mora is remarkably uncritical of the film's failings as he discusses the filmmaking process. Mora also goes on at great length about why he did not beleive the experiences that his friend related could be true. Whitley Strieber is spared some responsibility for the film as Mora relates that he departed significantly from the original script that Whitley Strieber had written, choosing to emphasize the humor in the outrageousness of the experiences, rather than the personal sense of terror that Strieber's original screenplay reportedly conveyed.

Widescreen Special Edition Laserdisc: Aspect Ratio

Laserdisc on left, FOX tv version on right
The proper matting of Communion is a matter of opinion.
     The widescreen special edition laserdisc presents Communion in a matted widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 at the request of Phillipe Mora, the director. The film was actually shown in theatres in the slightly taller 1.85:1 aspect ratio; the proper aspect ratio is therefore a matter of opinion.
    The cinematographer of Communion seems to have a different opinion than the director, as he endorsed the original theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio for a rare VHS Collector's Edition, described more fully in the next section. It is the position of this website that the 2.35:1 aspect ratio added later by the director is a revisionist attempt to make the film seem more cinematic.
     The liner notes of the laser disc includes this message from Mora, in which he attempts to explain why he changed the aspect ratio: “The laserdisc version of Communion marks the first time this film has been shown in the 2.35:1 format that I hoped audiences would have originally experienced. The additional information contained in this format alters composition, design, mood, feeling, and consequently the meaning of the film.”
     However a side by side comparison of different versions establishes that there is no “additional information” to be found on either side of the new frame, so any change in mood and feeling is based purely on what was deleted from the top and bottom rather than from any “additional information”.
     That Mora has taken this matting of the top and bottom well beyond the way the film was meant to be presented is evident by the now problematic composition of several scenes. Important parts of scenes including the ritualistic hand gestures made by the “Blue Boys” while they are bowing near the end of the film, and parts of the climactic “magic show” are lopped off, suggesting this film was never composed with 2.35:1 widescreen in mind.

Widescreen Special Edition Laserdisc: Conclusion
     Although the best version of this film remains the FOX television version, the laserdisc's enjoyable outtakes/bloopers and Mora's commentary (although not as humble as one would hope) are both unique to this special edition laserdisc (Mora's commentary on the DVD is different, though not any more humble. The DVD features some of the same outtakes, but without sound).


VHS Editions

 

VHS
(April 1990)
with theatrical cover art

VHS Collector's Edition (1996)
based on the 1996 laserdisc

VHS
with different cover art

Click any of the three covers above for larger images
(some images include back covers)

There have been three domestic VHS releases of Communion: 1) The theatrical version, 2) a “Collector's Edition” based on the 1996 special edition laserdisc, 3) and a repackaged version of the theatrical version in new box art.
     The VHS “Collector's Edition” is based on the 1996 special edition laserdisc, but it omits the director's commentary track. And although it is based on the laserdisc, the picture is not identical. Unlike the laserdisc, which presented the film in an extremely wide 2.35:1 aspect ratio (more than twice as wide as it is tall), the VHS Collector's Edition presented the film in it's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (which is not quite twice as wide as it is tall, a rather pleasing composition). The packaging implies that this 1.85:1 aspect ratio is the ratio intended by the film's cinematographer. The cinematographer would, arguably, be the one to know.
     The other two VHS editions are the theatrical versions of the film, with no added scenes or special features. They present the film in an “open matte” rather than widescreen form.
     There have been several european VHS editions released, which have not been examined by this website.


Image: A behind the scenes look at alien puppets fashioned by the McCracken studio.