Rospo Pallenberg
Rospo Pallenberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Pallenberg 1939 (age 85–86) |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, film director |
| Known for | Work with John Boorman |
Robert "Rospo" Pallenberg[1] (born 1939[1]) is an English screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his collaborations with John Boorman.[2]
Early life
Pallenberg was born in England in 1939. His father was Corrado Pallenberg (1912–1989), an Italian physician and journalist who worked as a papal medical adviser. He moved to New York City in the 1960s to study architecture, where he met director John Boorman.[3][4]
Career
While working professionally as an architect, Pallenberg collaborated with Boorman on the screenplay for his unproduced film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. He was an uncredited script doctor on Deliverance (1972)[5] and Zardoz (1974). He wrote the shooting script for Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), though due to Writers Guild of America rules he was credited as "Creative Associate". He was also a second unit director, and according to Linda Blair co-directed several scenes with Boorman. He also contributed to the scripts for Crazy Joe (1974, dir. Carlo Lizzani) and Avalanche Express (1979, dir. Mark Robson).
Pallenberg's first credited screenplay was for Boorman's Arthurian fantasy epic Excalibur (1981), which earned him and the director a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation. He then wrote his 1985 film The Emerald Forest.[2] They had a following out over Boorman's insistence on casting his own son Charley in the lead role, though they reconciled years later, co-writing scripts about Hadrian and Cú Chulainn.[6]
He directed the 1989 slasher comedy film Cutting Class, starring Brad Pitt in an early role. During the 1990s, he collaborated with Stephen King on a film adaptation of The Stand, which was later retooled into a TV miniseries without his involvement.[7] He was wrote an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune during the early 1970s, for producer Arthur P. Jacobs.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Emerald Forest | John Boorman | |
| 1989 | Cutting Class | Himself | Directorial debut |
| 1998 | The Barber of Siberia | Nikita Mikhalkov | Co-wrote with Mikhalkov and Rustam Ibragimbekov |
| 2001 | Druids | Jacques Dorfmann | Wrote story, screenplay by Dorfmann and Norman Spinrad |
Uncredited script contributions
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Deliverance | John Boorman | Script doctor[5] |
| 1974 | Crazy Joe | Carlo Lizzani | Script doctor |
| Zardoz | John Boorman | Script doctor | |
| 1977 | Exorcist II: The Heretic | Also second unit director | |
| 1979 | Avalanche Express | Mark Robson | Script doctor |
Unproduced scripts
- The Lord of the Rings (early-to-mid-1970s) - Adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien novel, for producers Gabriel Katzka, David Picker, and Arnold Picker. Co-written with and intended to be directed by John Boorman.
- Dune (early-to-mid-1970s) - Adaptation of Frank Herbert novel, for producer Arthur P. Jacobs. Haskell Wexler was attached to direct, with Susan Hampshire, John Neville and Patrick McGoohan attached to star.[3]
- Hadrian (mid-2000s) - Biopic of 1st-century Roman Emperor, co-written with John Boorman.
- Cú Chulainn (c. 2015) - Fantasy film based on Irish mythological hero, co-written with John Boorman.
References
- ^ a b "Rospo Pallenberg Collection". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ a b Noble, Holcomb B. (June 30, 1985). "Pondering Man in 'The Emerald Forest'". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ cinephiliabeyond (2019-06-27). "'The Past, Present and Future of Humanity': John Boorman's 'Excalibur' • Cinephilia & Beyond". Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ a b "Story of the Scene: 'Say it again, Bobby' and other greats". The Independent. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ "In Development". Merlin Films. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ King, Stephen; Pallenberg, Rospo (1989). "[Screenplay]: Stephen King's The Stand". Between the Covers.