A best-selling novel based on the captivating love story of a mismatched pair deserted on an uninhabited island of the Maldives is to be made into a feature-length film.
According to reports, leading Hollywood production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) has optioned the rights to Tracey Garvis-Graves‘ best-selling castaway novel “On the Island”, a five-week inhabitant of the New York Times bestseller list.
Film website Cinema Blend compared the novel to a cross between Hollywood blockbuster Cast Away, featuring Tom Hanks, and Fifty Shades of Grey, a runaway hit on the New York Times bestseller list made infamous for its explicit descriptions of bondage, domination and sadomasochism.
According to the website Variety, MGM is in negotiations with Temple Hill Productions, producers of the teenage blockbuster “Twilight”, to produce “On the Island”.
“Perfect location for book”
The story centers on Anna Emerson, a 31-year-old English teacher who signs up to tutor TJ Callahan, a 16-year-old recovering from cancer at his family’s vacation home in the Maldives.
On the way to family’s vacation home, the sea plane carrying the pair crash lands in the Indian Ocean, leaving them stranded on an uninhabited island.
The book synopsis describes: “Now Anna and TJ just want to survive, and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that TJ’s cancer could return. As TJ celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.”
According to the author of the novel, Maldives was the “perfect location” for the book.
“I needed an uninhabited island and when I did a Google search, the Maldives came right up. It was a perfect location for the book,” Garvis-Graves told Minivan News.
Although Tracey has never been to Maldives, she adds: “I did extensive online research. I looked at hundreds of images and I read everything I could about the plants, animals, climate, marine life etc.”
“I have never visited the Maldives but hope to be able to someday,” she said.
The Maldives is an upmarket tourist destination in the Indian Ocean with a population of nearly 350,000 inhabiting only 200 of its 1,192 low-lying islands.
Perfect location for a movie?
As reports of converting the compelling love story into a movie brings exciting news to its fans, the possibility of filming the movie in Maldives has sparked “special interest”.
“It is great news for the Maldives that it has been mentioned as a country in a best selling novel, and the idea of the story being converted into a movie is even more interesting,” Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, Deputy Tourism Minister said.
As the story speaks of the Maldives as the desert island-set where the romance begins, Jamal contended that “the Maldives would make the best setting to shoot the movie.”
“We are more than happy to assist in anyway to get the shooting of the film done in Maldives. We welcome any project that would generate positive coverage to Maldives,” he added.
The Deputy Minister welcomed the authour and MGM productions to consider the Maldives as a shooting location: “I invite the author and the producers to the Maldives. We will communicate with the tourism industry, resorts, tour operators, and make a collaborative effort to facilitate the production of the movie here. I’m sure we can broker a deal,” he said.
When Minivan News asked Garvis-Graves whether the Maldives would be chosen as a location, she responded “I don’t have any information on possible shooting locations as the film is only in the option stage. But the Maldives would be a beautiful location for filming for obvious reasons!”
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No. This is a muslim country and movies and songs are outright haram in Islam. We shall not give these Jewish studios permission to do this on our 100% MUSLIM land!
Sheish, you need to take a chill pill and relax a little.
Guess what? On a micro level, you are muslim, but we are all citizens of the world.
I find it interesting that humans like to limit themselves to being just _____. But, the fact is that we could easily open our minds to consider ourselves world citizens.
Try it. Opening up the mind feels nice.
Bondage? Domination? Sadomasochism? Between two unwed individuals?
This is outrageous! I am outraged!
The author of this lascivious book; the cast, crew and production staff for this movie; the MalDeviants who would allow this abomination of a tale to be told on our soil - should be apprehended, rounded up, assembled at Raalhugandu, and garrotted on the spot!
I don't know why the writer of this article likened this book to "50 Shades of Grey" because it bears ABSOLUTELY NO RESEMBLANCE to that trilogy of books. "On the Island" is a BEAUTIFUL story of survival and love amid the worst of human conditions. There is no bondage, no pseudo abuse, nothing lascivious about the journey shared by Anna and TJ. Instead, it's about the triumph of the human spirit and the reward of falling in love with the person who has your back. Please don't hate on this story without having the facts.
I am sure the current folks in power will happily put a blind eye to bondage beach sex scenes , they do already that serve Pork and Beer that are heavily promoted by the Government promotional budget to foreigner lovers to visit the islands for romance that are unwedded, (jiggy jiggy on the beach..)
As long as the people in powers resorts make money from this, it will be very welcomed.
Even porn movies have been filmed in the Maldives. Many other photo shoots for porn magazines including Playboy have been carried out in the Maldives.
If the producers decide to shoot this film in the Maldives, I am sure they will be welcomed most genuinely.
Those who commented above to ridicule the cultural and religious values of the country seem to be driven by their hatred of a peaceful religion followed by a fifth of humanity.
This will a bright light amidst the chaotic storm of what is life in the Maldives now.
You are most welcome...
in all these discussions it is obvious how much hatred is created through religion. religion is used as a weapon and is causing wars since centuries in many parts of the world. Pls get rid of all this, believe in your god who will guide your life peacefully and get your hands out off all these human made narrow minded stupidities!
*TROLL ALERT* No response is the best response to these kinds of inflammatory statements.
I was wondering if they do the movie would it be possible to give Wilson from Castaway a guest appearance.
bagee deputy minister maleeh takes MDP manifesto stand.
anything good that is going to do and going to happen will be in MDP manifesto. Anything bad and not practical will be in other parties manifesto.
Any initiate to do any thing in this country will be the vision of dictator Anni. If any mistakes done, then it will be due to other people.
I do not know when we can get rid of this myth.
I don't know why everyone is getting so fired up. El Al is a wonderful airline and would bring a lot of money to the Maldives. My wife and I love our Maldives holidays but it takes us so long to get there. At the end of the the day we are all people and if you compare our religions it is usually the lunatic hardliners who have beards.
What does religion has to do with a location for a movie. Let these people use one of your wonderful islands to make a movie which will be seen all over the world.
Mahaldheebees! Do you turn your back to Alllah and follow the whispers of hawa nafs and Shaitan? If this mini Dajjal company is allowed on our sacred soil, it won't be a tsunami that will strike you. Mark my words. The end is nigh and none of you are prepared to meet your Creator and here you are playint and laughing when you shoild be crying in fear and shame! Repent before it is too late. Repent before Brother Hanguraama garrots u on the spot,
What a jolly good idea to film a romantic movie in the Maldives.
Instead of showing a young attractive white couple canoodling on the beach, MGM should use local actors and 'maldivianize' the story.....show a fat unattractive veiled woman and a short red bearded mullah in the lead roles.....then add some local highlights.....like the destruction of the SAARC monuments, the vandalism of the national museums and the tedious 'protect islam' marches in Male.
In the final scene, the poor woman, having been caught red handed by her pious father behind the shed, should be shown being wipped by a frenzied mullah for fornication.
I've missed my vocation.....I should have been a script writer.
Have any of you idiots actually read this book? The one one-page sexual scene could be edited out and it will still be a fantastic story of unusual love. The main characters can not be from the Maldives because the fact that they are shipwrecked and from America is the main point of the book. There is no mention of religion in the book. Do your research before you jump to killing the infidels! Great Satan Live Forever!