Warners Chases After "Don Quixote"

Warner Bros continues its quest to adapt more literary works for the big screen, with plans to update Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ "Don Quixote", following the studio's box office success rebooting "Sherlock Holmes".

Cherry-picking through hundreds of public domain titles, previously adapted as crowd-pleasing comic books for "Classics Illustrated", producer Joel Silver ("Splice") is reportedly fast-tracking "Don Quixote" with the studio, as a big-budget tentpole release, describing the new take as a "Pirates of the Caribbean"-like swashbuckler.

Published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615, "Don Quixote" is the most influential work of literature to emerge from the Spanish Golden Age.

Orginally titled "The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha", the episodic story is told by Moorish chronicler 'Cide Hamete Benengeli'.

Premise of "Don Quixote' follows retired country gentleman 'Alonso Quixano', who lives in La Mancha with his niece and housekeeper. Becoming obsessed with books about 'chivalry', role-playing Quixano becomes a knight-errant in search of adventure, dons an old suit of armor, renames himself 'Don Quixote de la Mancha', enlists a sidekick, re-names his skinny horse 'Rocinante' and designates neighboring farm girl, 'Aldonza Lorenzo', as his fair lady love 'Dulcinea del Toboso'.

The novel is considered a satire of orthodoxy, veracity and nationalism, exploring the individualism of the characters beyond narrow literary conventions of chivalric romance literature.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek the 1972 musical feature "The Man Of La Mancha, directed by Canadian Arthur Hiller, starring Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren...