Peter Riva is the author of Kidnapped on Safari. He has spent many months over thirty years traveling throughout Africa and Europe. Much of this time was spent with the legendary guides for East African hunters and adventurers. He created a TV series in 1995 called Wild Things for Paramount. Passing on the fables, true tales, and insider knowledge of these last reserves of true wildlife is his passion. Nonetheless, his job for over forty years has been working as a literary agent. In his spare time, Riva writes science fiction and African adventure books, including the previous two titles in the Mbuno and Pero Adventures series, Murder on Safari and The Berlin Package. He lives in Gila, New Mexico.Here Riva dreamcasts an adaptation of Kidnapped on Safari:
Making movies always requires imagining who would play the leads and supporting cast. It is a fruitless exercise since studios and directors always have candidates that the script writer and/or author may not have thought of. Insofar as my “casterbation” of this fruitless exercise is concerned, I can clearly see Mbuno played by Don Cheadle or even by Edi Gathegi (he may be a bit young). No question Cheadle could capture the role of a deeply spiritual, action-competent, and focused safari guide.Visit Peter Riva's website.
For Pero Baltazar, I can easily see Josh Duhamel, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Vince Vaughn, or—if I had a choice—Jeremy Renner. Jeremy Renner perhaps captures the essence of Pero in that he always seems to be thinking—it’s what Pero does—weighing events and actions carefully. There is nothing casual about the roles he takes, especially Wind River which was brilliant. I also admire Mark Ruffalo’s ability to be secretly vulnerable (meaning not egotistic, as Pero is not egotistic) whilst being capable of action.
And, to be clear, I would make sure that the place itself, the land of East Africa, was displayed as a major character.
Writers Read: Peter Riva.
The Page 69 Test: Kidnapped on Safari.
--Marshal Zeringue
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