Theodore Melfi

Theodore Melfi, who was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘Hidden Figures’ is going deeper into space for his next picture, ‘Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers’, adapted from Hugo Award-winning the short story ‘Why I Left Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers’ by Lawrence Watt-Evans.  Melfi is reported to be in final negotiations with Warner Brothers to bring this story to life.

Andrew Lazar (‘American Sniper’) is producing through his Mad Chance production label, while Ben Simpson (‘Devil’s Night’) is co-producing.  The script, written on spec by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, has drawn comparisons to ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’.

‘Why I Left Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers’ is Watt-Evans’ first and most famous work, and tells the story of a down-on-his-luck high school senior who works at a “greasy spoon” which, at night, becomes a hang-out for travelers from alternate dimensional versions of Earth.  Against the advice of the diner’s owner, Harry, he sets out on an adventure across the multiverse in search of the perfect life.  Of course, things don’t go according to plan.

The story was first published in 1987 in ‘Isaac Asimov’ magazine and was voted the favorite story of the year by the magazine’s readers, before winning the Hugo Award.  It was also nominated for the Nebula Award.  It has since been reprinted and translated hundreds of times.

It is believed that Melfi will actually direct Fox 2000’s ‘Froot Loops’ before taking on ‘Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers’.  He is also writing the series ‘Huck’ as part of Netflix’s Millarverse line of movies and TV shows.  He also recently tweaked the screenplay for Tristar’s ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’.

If you would like to read ‘Why I Left Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers’ before the movie comes out, it is readily available in ebook format for most devices.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter