The LA Times has a great article up on the dearth of cash flow for recently-released environmental documentaries — mostly because audiences are looking for escapism at the theater. However, it was this paragraph that really made me go “huh?”:

It’s not just the call-to-arms message that might be limiting the appeal of some of these films; unlike the hits “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Fahrenheit 9/11,” the green documentaries don’t have recognizable stars such as Al Gore and Michael Moore. (In a classic Hollywood twist, “No Impact Man,” about a New York family struggling to live without refrigeration, electricity and even toilet paper, is being reworked as a possible drama for Will Smith.) (Ed note: emphasis mine)

Whoa!

Now, with the exception of the LA Times, nothing on the web backs any of this information up — so obviously, the author has some kind of inside-info on Smith’s potential involvement. Running with this for a moment, it would be an interesting project to re-tool a documentary into a dramatic film. First of all, it would be really cool to have sustainability spotlighted in a way other than through a doc. Second, Smith draws people into theaters and his acting is, in this writer’s opinion, some of the best in Hollywood. The two combined could make for a really great film.

Anyways, the  No Impact Man documentary opens in theaters on September 11th — with the book now available for preorder. You can also view the blog that started it all by jumping here. We’ll keep you updated should we spot anything more on this rumor…

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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