Lionsgate has announced that it is developing a film adaptation of the classic time-travel romance, Time and Again.
The 1970 Jack Finney novel didn’t invent the time-travel romance genre, but it may have been responsible for popularizing it, and many such novels that we see today draw on Time and Again as their primary source for tropes and inspiration, even if the authors of these novels – which are frequently bodice-rippers – don’t quite realize it.
As with any past genre stepping stone, the story is simple enough that it seems derivative by today’s standards.
Simon gets sent back in time accidentally as a result of a military experiment. While trapped in 1882, he falls in love with a pretty girl. When he discovers that there is a way for him to return home, he has a tough decision to make.
That’s really it, and the sci-fi in the original tale is also very soft. Little explanation is given for the time-travel, and not much discussion comes up regarding paradoxes.
Honestly, I’ll be expecting more The Notebook and less Back to the Future, but I could be surprised, especially considering that Lionsgate has brought on Doug Liman – who has some sci-fi on his resume, but no romance – to direct. Perhaps liman will turn the otherwise dated and tropey story into a cool sci-fi flick, but I’m not holding my breath.
If the film is successfull, there is a sequel to the novel, From Time to Time, which could also be adapted.
There has been no word yet on casting, and no dates have been confirmed for either production or release.
