Leonardo Dicaprio movie from 2000 headed to TV as a confusing prequel

The Beach, a movie no one remembers, starring Leonardo DiCaprio is being adapted for TV as a prequel series.

Has anyone here ever seen or even remember The Beach from 2000? No? That’s okay, you aren’t the only one.

Fresh off the Titanic in 1997, Leonardo DiCaprio was an instant superstar and heartthrob for young girls and women everywhere. They all promised to do what Rose didn’t, never let go. Understandably, this started to get on his nerves because, let’s be honest, stalking is bad enough when it’s just one person so imagine a whole mob following you from shop to shop trying to steal your sneeze napkin from the trash.

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Poor DiCaprio needed to get away, so what did he do? He ran away to Thailand and signed on to star in Danny Boyle’s The Beach. Based on the novel by Alex Garland, that’s incredibly different from the movie and was so powerful it’s considered to be one of the key voices of Generation X, The Beach follows a young American named Richard (DiCaprio) visiting Thailand given a map to an uninhabited island that’s become somewhat of an urban legend among travelers.

Think Isla de Muerta but not full of cursed pirate treasure. The only way to find it is through a chain letter of maps handed down by people who’ve already been there. This is how Richard finds it. He meets a deranged man named Daffy (Robert Carlyle), the most interesting character in the movie, who draws Richard a map before committing suicide in his hotel room. And that’s how the adventure starts.

The movie gathered a lot of press during production thanks to DiCaprio’s attachment and the rumored set problems, but it’s since disappeared and been forgotten about. The film was poorly received by critics, getting a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes and went on to be perceived as one of the worst films of DiCaprio’s career.

I personally enjoyed it, and there are some fans who still watch their special edition DVD’s every year but it seemed as if we were in the minority until now with the news ofThe Beach getting a prequel series made for television. A prequel set 20 years after the movie….and now I’m confused.

According to Esquire Magazine, Amy Seimetz will run the new series that will reportedly focus on the original protagonist, Richard in the present day.

"[Seimetz] has taken The Beach and made a prequel for television. It’s the same character but it’s set now, so 20 years later – it’s a bit of a headf**k.”“It’s intriguing when you see it,” Boyle went on. “I’ve read the first two scripts. I don’t know if they’ll have the courage to do it at FX, but you never know.”"

What is a prequel set in the future? A weekly flashback? The scripts are written but no one has been cast in any role and no network has yet to buy the series, so it’s not a definite guarantee just yet.

However, I have to ask, why focus on Richard? The Beach had a whole backstory the movie just glazed over involving the founders of the island, which included the eccentric Daffy. Why make a show about Richard when we can watch the beginnings of Sal, Daffy, and Bugs?

I think it’s likely to assume DiCaprio will not reprise his role of Richard but we can hope for a cameo.

The Beach prequel has no home network, official title or release date yet.