THE METAMORPHOSIS-FRANZ KAFKA ADAPTATION
Hey all, this is an idea I had for a movie adapting Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.
PART 1: CASTING
STORY: THE METAMORPHOSIS
AUTHOR: FRANZ KAFKA
*KEY:
BT=BEFORE TRANSFORMATION
AT=AFTER TRANSFORMATION
EXPLANATION BEHIND CASTING:
Robert Pattinson as Gregor Samsa:
Robert Pattinson, an acclaimed actor, was chosen for the role of Gregor Samsa due to his ability to convey the primitive, inherent human feelings of terror, envy, and depression through his numerous roles. In the A24 cult classic Good Time, directed by the Safdie brothers, Robert Pattinson portrays a character, Connie, plagued by desperation and distress as he goes to great lengths in order to save his brother. In this role, Robert Pattinson manages to encapsulate the feeling of immense love for his family that Gregor Samsa held, as well as the desperation a human feels when faced with separation from family. In The Lighthouse, directed by Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson conveys the insanity and terror that one feels as a victim of isolation and mental abuse. Furthermore, he shows envy to his superior, Thomas Wake, as he is barred from entering the lighthouse, yet Wake isn’t. In his metamorphosis, Gregor is viewed as a subhuman creature by his family and is trapped in his room while being chided by all those who dare to look at him. Furthermore, he holds immense envy for those who are not afflicted with the same curse as he. Robert Pattinson is a perfect candidate for the role of Gregor Samsa as he has lived out the traits present in Gregor through his numerous roles.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Grete Samsa:
Despite her recent prevalence in cinema, Anya Taylor-Joy is already an acclaimed actress, being a three-time nominee and one-time winner of the Golden Globe Award. Anya Taylor-Joy plays numerous roles that hold traits that resemble those of Grete Samsa; in Morgan, directed by Luke Scott (son of Ridley Scott), Taylor-Joy's performance as the main character is described as "a performance that keenly teeter-totters between little-girl innocent and dead-eyed viciousness" by critic John Serba. Taylor-Joy, as an actress, has encompassed all traits present in Grete Samsa; she carries an innocent yet inwardly tough and somewhat vicious demeanor within her. Both Samsa and Taylor-Joy know how to carry themselves as independent women despite their docile appearance.
J.K. Simmons as Mr. Samsa:
A heavily respected and acclaimed actor, J.K. Simmons is a Hollywood juggernaut. In his most notable role to date, Simmons plays the role of Terence Fletcher, a Shaffer Conservatory jazz instructor in the film Whiplash, directed by Damien Chazelle. Fletcher's concert band is regarded as one of the best in the nation; it is the dream of all college-aged jazz students to play for Fletcher, especially Miles Teller's character Andrew Neiman, who dedicates hours practicing the drums in order to play in this ensemble. Throughout the whole movie, Simmons is seen as a figure who demands power despite his age; he commands a room of college students with authority as if he were a captain on a ship. Fletcher, in his initial encounter with Neiman at the beginning of the film, walks in on the young man practicing, commanding him throughout the whole scene. Much like Jules Winnfield's (Samuel L. Jackson) Big Kahuna Burger Scene in Pulp Fiction (dir. Quentin Tarantino), Fletcher doesn't let Neiman speak for himself, eventually walking out in the middle of him playing. Further in the movie, and the first real glimpse the audience sees of Fletcher, he berates his jazz band, kicks a member out despite them being right about being in tune, flings a chair at and physically and verbally abuses Neiman during his first session with the band. Despite this, Fletcher is evidently dependent on his students as they are the sole reason for his success. Fletcher is not the esteemed Shaffer Conservatory; Fletcher is just a man. In this role, J.K. Simmons perfectly encapsulates Mr. Samsa's abusive yet dependent nature. His ability to be ruthless, resentful(as seen in the third act of the movie), and violent, as seen in the role of Terence Fletcher, can be perfectly transferred over to the role of Mr. Samsa.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Mrs. Samsa:
Michelle Pfeiffer, a two-time Oscar winner for Best Actress, is an extremely notable name in Hollywood. In her most notable role as Elvira Hancock in Brian De Palma’s magnum opus Scarface, she plays an independent woman stricken with the curse of having Tony Montana as a husband. In this role, Elvira is a slave to narcotics, a slave to money, and a slave to Tony; she is heavily dependent on Tony and his wealth. Despite her snarky remarks and poor relationship with Tony, it takes a lot from her to leave him. Elvira is subservient to Tony; she has grown dependent on him. Despite her intelligence and ability to be independent, Elvira has learned to get by solely off of her looks, causing her to be seen as useless by Tony; she is also distressed by the dangerous life in which Tony surrounds himself. Michelle Pfeiffer, in her role as Elvira, exemplifies the traits of Mrs. Samsa: a dependent, distressed woman who cannot remove herself from the situation.
Jamie Lee Curtis as The Charwoman:
Jamie Lee Curtis is the titular final girl. In her role as Laurie Strode, Lee Curtis has shown that she has the capacity to play a brave, headstrong woman who is unfazed by the notorious killer Michael Myers (Halloween: 2018 Trilogy). Throughout the whole saga, she is willing to stand up against such a formidable foe despite her small stature in comparison. Jamie Lee Curtis is both a strong, brave, and independent woman and actor; she is an excellent choice to play the charwoman.
TRAILER SUMMARY:
How would you feel as if you were transformed into a subhuman creature overnight? If the only identifiable aspect of you is the brain within your body, your voice and body being transformed completely, how would you feel if your mother, father, children, or spouse saw you as a living monstrosity, an abomination, a perversion of the human condition? How would you feel if you were Gregor Samsa? The Metamorphosis, one of the greatest works of literature, challenges the reader to think of the situation that Gregor Samsa finds himself in; a normal man living a normal life is completely transformed into a disgusting creature akin to “Brundlefly” in The Fly (1986) (Dir. David Cronenberg). The reader can sympathize with the foul creature as it is still human; Gregor, despite his appearance, still has a soul. This notion also provokes the reader to evaluate how far a human can be transformed before it is not a human anymore; in the short story “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison, the protagonist is transformed into an amorphous blob with no mouth, yet he still retains his human brain. The transformation that both characters undergo is incomprehensible to normal humans; tropes from both works of literature will be used in order to develop the story and answer the question of whether they are still human.
The main message of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (movie (2024)) is how far a human being can be transformed, both mentally and physically, until they are no longer a member of the species. The genre of the movie will be science fiction thriller with elements of horror and noir. The intended audience will be adults as the film is rated R due to the content within; the intended audience, being mainly adults, will also be able to push philosophical thinking regarding the human condition. The trailer for the movie will begin with the date (5/2/1912) with Gregor Samsa, a man walking through his daily tasks as a traveling salesman; he is a content man who is proud of the fact that he is the sole breadwinner for his family. Afterward, he comes home to a benevolent family, happy to have him back from his escapades as a working man. The screen then fades to black; once it emerges from the darkness, the date fades in (5/3/1912) along with the time (8:15 A.M.) as Gregor is completely transformed into an incomprehensible abomination. This section of the trailer will include the scenes present at the beginning of the novella: his distress, inability to adapt to his new form, and frantic nature will all be conveyed; Gregor is completely covered in shadow, symbolizing his transformation into darkness. Further into the trailer, the camera will implement the famous “whip-pan” system utilized by Damien Chazelle to convey the situation of turmoil; it will pan from the mirror to Gregor back and forth while his inner monologue is highlighted for the audience to hear; quotes such as ‘“What’s happened to me?”’ and “‘How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense’’’(Kafka 1) will be utilized. The camera then travels through the keyhole of the door to outside in the foyer, where his family is calling him, stating that he is late for work. A brief moment later, the chief clerk walks in, and they all converse, trying to convince Gregor to unbarricade himself from his room; however, while Gregor is conversing, his family starts to pick up on the tonality and delivery of his words: “‘did you hear the way Gregor spoke just now?’ ‘That was the voice of an animal,’ said the chief clerk, with a calmness that was in contrast with his mother’s screams”(Kafka 5) would be implemented into the trailer dialogue after Gregor’s monstrous shrieks (him attempting to talk). The doorknob starts to rattle, and the door opens; Gregor’s new form is revealed to his family. The trailer then fades white while there is the dialogue of pandemonium and screams of terror; once again, the time is shown (12:10 P.M.); his reveal to his parents has already occurred, and Gregor is confined to his room. His father is heard discussing his new form with his family, enraged that that subhuman creature is his son; he is also enraged with the fact that he must return to work due to Gregor’s condition (this is a scene in which J.K. Simmons shines). Grete, sympathetic, is seen leaving food for Gregor in a wide-angle shot over her shoulder, showing both Grete and her family in the same shot. To finish the trailer, Gregor is berated by his father, Mr. Samsa, as both his sister and mother are mortified to see their brother and son, respectively, crawling on the walls. Mr. Samsa, after scolding his son, throws the infamous apples at Gregor, lodging one deep in his abdomen; Gregor’s shriek of pain is heard as the trailer cuts to black and the date of release is revealed (7.3.24)-Kafka’s birthday.
TRAILER BREAKDOWN:
0:00-The beginning of the trailer is shot “Birdman style” with long, continuous takes with minimal cuts, as well as following the protagonist on a tracking shot from behind. Gregor is in the midst of returning home from work; he is greeted by all, especially his family, once he enters the house. The date is shown: (5/2/1912). There is no music, only the sounds of Gregor’s world.
0:30-The camera fades to black. Title Card 1 is shown: “How would you feel?”
0:35-The camera shows an extreme close-up shot of Gregor’s new body (lower left half).
0:40-The camera cuts again. Title Card 2 is shown: “If you were seen as an abomination.”
0:45-Another extreme close-up is accompanied by a flash. Gregor’s legs in the air are shown; he is in his bed.
0:50-The camera cuts; Title Card 3 is shown: “BY ALL THOSE YOU LOVE.”
0:55-Gregor’s face is shown with an alien-esque shriek.
1:00-Trailer cuts to black
[Throughout this whole exchange, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Lightbulb SFX is heard with the showing of each title card until the trailer cuts to black.]
1:01-The trailer rises from black. The camera uses the aforementioned “whip-pan” technique; from now on, the trailer follows the breakdown established in pitch. Additionally, Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (from 5:21-end of the song/trailer) is played in the background during this period.
1:55-After this, Title Card 4 is shown: “Robert Pattinson,” and the trailer then cuts to Gregor looking in the mirror, pre-transformation.
2:00-Title Card 5 is shown: “J.K. Simmons,” the trailer then cuts to Mr. Samsa yelling.
2:05-Title Card 6 is shown: “Anya Taylor-Joy,” the trailer then cuts to Grete screaming in terror.
2:10-Title Card 7 is shown: “Michelle Pfeiffer as ‘Mrs. Samsa’ and Jamie Lee Curtis as “The Charwoman”
2:15-The title of the movie is revealed: Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Afterward, a cut is shown to Title Card 9: “In theatres 7.3.24.”
PART 2: POSTER & BRIEF EXPLANATION:
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