Odd Thomas is one of famed author Dean Koontz's most popular and enduring characters, with six novels written about him up to this point, including this year's Deeply Odd which I'm itching to read. A peculiar mix of X-files style paranormal mystery and lighthearted camp, it follows the titular character, a small town short order cook who can communicate with the dead and gets into all sorts of crazy adventures. Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) came on to direct a big screen version a couple of years ago, joined by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) in the lead role. It's been practically invisible ever since, but as they prepare to shop it to investors at Cannes, the first trailer has been released.
The film is based on the first novel in the series, and follows Odd Thomas as he witnesses the arrival of the demonic bodachs who usually precede an event where huge amounts of people will die. Addison Timlin plays his soulmate, "Stormy" Llewellyn, while Willem Dafoe is the local sheriff and one of the few who knows his supernatural secrets. Koontz often struggles to balance the tone in his novels, but it's tough to tell if that's an issue the film has failed to overcome. Odd is a charismatic individual (it's kind of a power, actually), and Yelchin does seem to capture that, along with the character's deadpan sense of humor. I've never had the ending of a book hit me as hard as Odd Thomas did, so I'm curious to see if the film can have quite the same impact.
Part of the reason there's been so little buzz about the film is that producers have been locked in a legal battle over $35M in marketing money that never materialized, obviously hampering their ability to get the word out. There's still no firm release date, but you can probably expect to see Odd Thomas later this year. Patton Oswalt, 50 Cent, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Nico Tortorella co-star.
Odd Thomas (2013) - Official Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty City
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