The book “The Incomparable Atuk” almost became a film with actors who died after being linked to the role.

^{The story of the “cursed” film which caused 4 protagonists to be killed during filming}

John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy and Chris Farley have more in common than being comedians who died at the height of their careers. All four names were linked to the same film, which never took off and became famous as “cursed” in Hollywood.

The idea of ​​turning the book “The Incomparable Atuk” into a film was born in the 1970s, but was never implemented. The novel by Canadian Mordecai Richler was released in 1963.

The incomparable Atuk of the title is the protagonist, who feels like a fish out of water. The young man from the Inuit ethnic group (formerly called Eskimo) leaves his rural country and travels to Toronto, where he encounters characters and scenarios that affect the life of such a naive person.

Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) was nominated for an Oscar in 1975 for the screenplay of “The Great Con Man”. Two years later, he wrote the screenplay for “Guess Who’s Coming to Steal”, which was remade in 2005 with Jim Carrey in the lead role and a new title: “The Madness of Dick and Jane”.

1st death in 1982

^{John Belushi in “Club dos Cafajestes” (1978) — Photo: Disclosure}

A screenplay based on Atuk’s story was written in the 1970s by Tod Carroll, former editor-in-chief of the prestigious humor magazine “National Lampoon” and specialist in typically American absurd comedies.

This text fell into the hands of John Belushi, known for his roles on the show “Saturday Night Live” and in films such as “Clube dos Cafajestes” (1978) and “Os Irmãos Cara de Pau” (1980).

He was announced as the protagonist, playing Atuk, and recording of the film would begin in 1982. Belushi, however, ended up dying on March 5 of the same year, at the age of 33, after an overdose at the Chateau Hotel Marmont of Los Angeles. .

2nd death in 1988

In 1988, another rising actor became interested in the role. Sam Kinison, revealed in stand-up shows and the least known on this list, even participated in a few days of filming in the role of Atuk.

According to Tod Carroll, Kinison and some members of the film crew began fighting. The protagonist didn’t like the way the original script was filmed. “Creative differences” sent “Atuk” into limbo. In 1992, Sam Kinison died in a car accident.

In an interview with the newspaper “Los Angeles Time” in 1999, the screenwriter was asked about the tragic coincidences, but he did not worry about the cursed remarks. “I’m not a superstitious person and this makes no sense to me. With the right actor and the right tone, this could be a good movie.”

3rd death in 1994

The project was already considered cursed, but the strength of the text still caught the attention of another actor. John Candy, Canadian like Atuk, was approached for a new adaptation of the novel.

On March 4, 1994, however, the actor of comedy classics such as “Antes Só do que Mal Accompanied” (1987) and “Quem Vê Cara Não Vê Coração” (1989) suffered a heart attack. He was 43 years old and filming a new film in Mexico.

4th death in 1997

^{Chris Farley in “Ninja Hardcore” (1997) — Photo: Disclosure}

After Candy’s death, Chris Farley became a possible heir. Revealed on “Saturday Night Live,” Farley established himself in silly comedies such as “Mong & Loide” (1995) and “A Hardcore Ninja” (1997).

He wishes to take a more serious turn in his career and approaches producers who wish to relaunch the “Atuk” project. Farley died in December 1997 following an overdose in the American city of Chicago. Since then, we haven’t talked about the project anymore.

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