May 6, 2008 6:00 AMIndependent filmmakers Patrick A. McIntire and Adrian Vanderbosch recently unveiled a daily blog chronicling their efforts to bring Cyan's Myst franchise to Hollywood with a big screen adaptation of the popular exploration puzzle title. Code named Project Passage, the endeavor spent its infancy gaining endorsement from Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan Worlds and creator of Myst. Now, a full narrative of the project’s every turn is available on the new blog site."When we first approached Rand about doing a website telling our story, he was elated. We found that his ideas in its execution mirrored our own - to really expose the blood, sweat and tears that go into a process like this" says Mr. McIntire. The online journal exposes his and Mr. Vanderbosch’s hopes, goals and fears without apology, forming an emotional bridge to the readers. "There is a large misconception that the Myst movie will be just a rehash of the game" Vanderbosch says from his home office in South Bend, Indiana. "Some people who grew up with the game just aren’t familiar with the huge fictional universe that Cyan developed as the backdrop for Myst" That backdrop, portrayed in three novels published by Disney’s Hyperion throughout the 1990s is the focus of the film in development. Myst: The Book of Ti’ana, the basis for the motion picture, tells the story of a prideful civilization known as the D’ni who live in a large cavern at the center of the Earth. Their ability to magically create and travel to worlds they describe in volumes of linking books forms the epicenter of their social, political and religious structures - that is until young Anna from a world away shows up at the city gates. "Ti’ana is about how one challenge to a society’s beliefs can expose the cracks in its facade and unravel its very fabric. The story is about a people and their fear of losing their identity" Mr. Vanderbosch recounts. "Identity is very important" McIntire says in support of their unorthodox approach. "We’re new players in the game, and instead of masquerading as big-wigs, we’re honest about where we come from" That place is the middle of the Midwest - about 3,000 miles from the studios. "We may be strangers to Hollywood, but Myst isn’t. Just in the last couple of years, Cyan has entertained many conglomerates as suitors. I think our approach was a breath of fresh air"To learn more about the project and how it began click over to the site linked below.Myst Motion Picture Journal
