Travis McGee - Adaptations

Adaptations

Travis McGee has twice been translated to cinema and television; Rod Taylor played McGee in Darker Than Amber (1970), and Sam Elliott played him in the television movie of The Empty Copper Sea, titled Travis McGee (1983). The latter relocates McGee in California, eliminating the Florida locales central to the novels. In addition, Elliott kept his trademark brushy mustache, thoroughly distancing himself from the clean-shaven, brush cut look McGee maintains in the books.

In 1967, author MacDonald refused permission for a television series about Travis McGee and his cases, feeling people would stop reading the novels were Travis McGee regularly on television. Comedian Dan Rowan, a friend of MacDonald's, had expressed interest in playing the role of Travis McGee, but nothing ever materialized.

Actor Darren McGavin provided the voice of Travis McGee in the majority of the audio book versions of the novels.

According to the Internet Movie Database, a film version of The Deep Blue Good-by, directed by Oliver Stone with Leonardo DiCaprio as Travis McGee, was in development with a tentative release date of 2011 or 2012. In April 2010, it was announced that the film's title was changed to Travis McGee. In April 2011, it was announced that Paul Greengrass was interested in directing the film.