[image title=”rumlarge” size=”thumbnail” id=”337″ align=”right” linkto=”https://irrationale2.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/rumlarge.jpg” ]I’m a huge fan of the work of the late and great Hunter S. Thompson.

For those who don’t know, “The Rum Diary” is an early novel by Thompson that was written in the early 1960’s but was not published until 1998.

The story involves a journalist named Paul Kemp, who moves from New York to work for a small newspaper, The Daily News, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Set in the late 1950s, the novel encompasses a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery and violent alcoholic lust among the American expatriates who staff the newspaper.

Thompson himself traveled from New York to San Juan in 1960 to write for an ill-fated sports newspaper on the island. Thompson had unsuccessfully applied to work at the larger English-language daily called the San Juan Star while novelist William Kennedy was the editor. While in Puerto Rico, Thompson befriended many of the writers at the Star, providing the context for The Rum Diary’s fictional storyline.

In 2003, it was revealed that a film version was to be made, with Johnny Depp once again in the lead role. Since then, news has been incredibly scarce on this project.

The latest information on the project comes from Variety, stating that Bruce Robinson (of Withnail & I fame, and also the first planned director of Fear & Loathing) is now to write the screenplay and direct, Depp is still in the main role as Paul Kemp, and… well, that’s about it. Benicio Del Toro, who was originally slated to appear (and at one point, direct) seems to have disappeared from the line up completely. Rum Diary has even disappeared from Del Toro’s website all together.

So at this stage, we’re still in the dark. It’s moving ahead, as far as we know, but it’ll just be a matter of being patient. More news as it comes to hand.

I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t mind waiting. Most people know that I don’t mind a well aged Rum.