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Precious McKenzie biopic no impossible dream

Thursday 19 January 2012, 4:02PM

By Morcan Motion Pictures

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The New Zealand father-and-son writing team who cracked Amazon’s bestseller lists over the holiday period with their two new release books, Fiji: A Novel and The Ninth Orphan, are now refocusing their efforts on their feature film based on the life story of Precious McKenzie.

Lance and James Morcan, who are also screenwriters and film producers, are producing the biopic through Morcan Motion Pictures.

Formerly titled The Precious One, the film has been retitled The Impossible Dream.

The Morcans, whose recent feature film credits include Desired and The Pawn, consider the new title is more apt given what the film’s subject achieved.

“In his tumultuous early life in South Africa and then England, Precious achieved wonderful things in the face of impossible odds,” says Lance Morcan. “He approves the new title and we believe it more accurately reflects the never-say-die spirit of the man.”

The biopic, which has been in development three years with Morcan Motion Pictures, will be helmed by former James Bond director Roger Spottiswoode, and will star Nick Nolte, Kim Basinger, Arnold Vosloo and Tatyana Ali.

African American actor and stand-up comedian Kevin Hart will play the lead role of Precious McKenzie. Best known for his roles in Death at a Funeral and Little Fockers, Hart is also very short, fit and muscular.

Lance says the actor loves the Precious character and can’t wait to play him in the film. “Finding Kevin was a Godsend as there aren’t too many known black actors, anywhere, who can match Precious’ diminutive stature and produce the goods artistically.”

Morcan Motion Pictures plan to shoot The Impossible Dream on location in South Africa later this year. Currently, 15% of the US$7.9million budget has been raised and the company is in talks with interested financiers worldwide to greenlight the production.