*Touches envelope to head* Johnny Carson
*Opens envelope, reads it* “The latest subject of a Hollywood biopic.”
…No, that’s not funny. What do you expect from me on such short notice?
Anyway, Deadline reports that producer Tom Thayer and writer John McLaughlin, whose Hitchcock comes out next week, will be teaming up again to tackle a different show business legend. They have the blessing of Johnny Carson’s estate to adapt Bill Zehme’s forthcoming biography, Carson The Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait. Presumably the movie will simply be titled Carson, or something along those lines, because there was apparently a memo some time ago that biopics must have boring names.
So what is it about the legendary host of The Tonight Show that’s worth exploring cinematically? While beloved by all of America, he was fastidiously private in his personal life. Are people clamoring to learn more about Carson? My whole generation isn’t very familiar with the man (This past May marked the 20th anniversary of his retirement). I suppose this will appeal to the boomers who grew up with him. Because heaven knows there isn’t enough entertainment tailored to appeal to boomers. We’ll see how this project develops.
