Francis Ford Coppola is in advanced talks to oversee a re-edit of the
Thai epic Suriyothai, according to the British trade publication
Screen International.
The $14-million film, about a legendary
Thai queen who was killed defending her country against Portuguese and
Burmese invaders in the 16th century, closed the Pusan International
Film Festival on Saturday.
Directed by Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, a
classmate of Coppola‘s in film school 30 years ago, Suriyothai
currently runs three hours and five minutes. (It originally ran eight
hours.)
Coppola is expected to shorten it further and perhaps reshoot
certain scenes.
“It was always in my mind to do an international
version. Western audiences are less interested in the details of Thai
history and would prefer to see it as a cultural experience and
entertainment,” Prince Chatrichalerm told Screen International.
