Harvey Weinstein Aquires Kon Tiki

The Weinstein company has just aquired the rights to Kon Tiki, a Norwegian film based on Thor Heyerdahl's world-famous ocean adventure tale Kon Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft, published over half a century ago in 1950. 

I'm shocked to see that someone has just now made a film of it; I can't quite believe it hasn't been done before! I remember reading the book somewhere in my teen years. A million, nay, a billion years ago. I can't imagine why I picked the book up at the time- it may have belonged to my brother - and I don't remember the details, but I recall being completely enthralled by this blond sun-kissed adventurer and his journey.
In fact, Thor Heyederdahl himself made a companion documentary film which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1951.
Before my time dear reader, if ever so slightly.


This new 2012  version is the official Oscar® entry of Norway for Best Foreign Language Film. It seems to be the first actual dramatization of Heyerdahl's book. The trailer (below) features both English and Norwegian, along with subtitles, and looks pretty exciting. Harvey Weinstein has said he plans to release an English language version in 2013. Not sure if he intends to remake in English with known American actors or whether there is an English language version of the Norwegian movie which is doing great numbers in Norway and the rest of Europe now.

So tell me, has anyone actually read Kon Tiki recently? How does a movie version of a cross Pacific trip in a balsa wood raft, complete with shark attacks,  sound to you?