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Leonardo DiCaprio says hello to The Deep Blue Good-by


This excites the hell out of me - Dennis Lehane, author of novels Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, is adapting the great John D. MacDonald's The Deep Blue Good-by, the first of the Travis McGee books FOR LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO PLAY TRAVIS. I feel like a little kid but I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait. Leo as a beach bum? And as this particular cynical but romantic beach bum? Yes please.  If this goes well there could be a whole Travis McGee franchise opportunity - there are plenty more colorfully titled McGee books to keep going and going and going: The Quick Pink Fox, The Turquoise Lament, The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper, The Green Ripper, A Purple Place for Dying, etc etc. MLH turned me on to MacDonald; I haven't read him in awhile but I was always intrigued to see how the title was referenced. Do you know how it played out in The Deep Blue Good-By?  

Here's the overview of The Deep Blue Good-by from B&N

Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He’s also a knight-errant who’s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior’s latest victim, Lois Atkinson.

Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women’s spirits and livelihoods. But he can’t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He’ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse in The Deep Blue Good-by.

MLH isn't quite sure about Leo as Travis is the big and burly type; I think his charisma will sell it and everyone will fall in love with Travis. Is Leo what you pictured as Travis? Who would you cast?

Details to come - any John D. MacDonald fans out there as jazzed as I am?