The Rum Diary is not the only movie connected to the works of Hunter S. Thompson currently in production. Director Gus Van Sant is making Tom Wolfe’s classic book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test into a film. Tom Wolfe borrowed many notes from Hunter S. Thompson to write his book about Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters. The sections about the parties at Kesey’s ranch with the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang was taken directly from Thompson’s notes, as were the stories about the Acid Tests taking place at The Matrix in San Francisco. Although Tom Wolfe was considered to be a part of the New Journalism movement, he was less involved in his subjects than Thompson. As someone once told me, “Wolfe was the fly on the wall, Thompson was the fly drowning in your martini.”

Tags: acid test, electric kool aid, gus van sant, hells angels, hunter s thompson, hunter thompson, ken kesey, merry pranksters, movie, new journalism, san francisco, the matrix, tom wolfe

Enough of the rumors and speculation, The Rum Diary is currently being filmed in Puerto Rico. Johnny Depp is there and it will be the first film produced by the production company started by him and his sister. Filming shouldn’t take more than a couple months, so expect this movie to be released sometime at the end of this year or the beginning of 2010. Hooray, no more delays, this thing is actually happening!

Tags: hunter thompson, johnny depp, puerto rico, the rum diary