Blood Meridian: The story that can’t be adapted

“War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.”

Based on the real-life Glanton Gang, the novel’s prose is unforgiving in its brazen descriptions of gore, genocidal killings, discrimination and child endangerment

This is a quote from Blood Meridian, a story that exposes the violent underbelly of the Wild West – a story that is often glazed over. Cormac McCarthy’s seminal novel follows a group of scalp hunters on their travels, detailing their massacres and treacherous adventures under the blazing desert sun. Based on the real-life Glanton Gang, the novel’s prose is unforgiving in its brazen descriptions of gore, genocidal killings, discrimination and child endangerment. 

Many esteemed filmmakers have attempted to portray Blood Meridian on screen but failed, for numerous reasons – one of which is the content itself. 

The book mirrors the unfortunate reality of America’s western frontier in a fashion unlike most depictions of the Wild West, leaving readers with a dauntingly dark tone. The Mexican standoffs between outlaws are swapped for the mass murder of innocent Apache villages; righteous cowboys swapped with Machiavellian hunters on horseback; golden, open desert plains described as a desolate hellscape – sweltering in the sun and freezing once it sets. 

The brilliance of the novel makes it a highly sought-after adaptation for the silver screen. However, the graphic content intrinsic to the story simultaneously makes any faithful attempt a daunting task. That isn’t to say it hasn’t been attempted: 

In 1990, Tommy Lee Jones tried to direct a Blood Meridian film, featuring just the first third of the novel. As a friend and fan of McCarthy’s, he wanted to stay true to the source material, to the chagrin of the producers. The project stalled.  

Scott even claimed that, had it passed, it would’ve been rated double X

Next was Ridley Scott, with writer William Monaghan of The Departed. Akin to Lee Jones’s version, the script was unabashed about the source content’s violence. Scott even claimed that, had it passed, it would’ve been rated double X. The duo and the studios couldn’t come to a compromise, and the second attempt stalled in 2008.  

Soon after, James Franco took the reins and began writing a script in 2011. To get studio approval, he commissioned half an hour of test footage in 2014, viewable on YouTube. Despite getting the green light to begin development, the project was dropped in 2017 after the producer holding the rights rescinded them in retaliation against Franco. Yet another failed attempt.  

Whether it’s The Judge throwing puppies off a bridge or kidnapping children, or the Glanton Gang wiping out a village and emerging doused in blood, gore is inseparable from the novel

Most of these iterations failed due to producers’ hesitancy to green-light such a traumatising story. It’s one thing to have a bloody display on film, but Blood Meridian’s violence is persistent – central to the plot, characters, and worldbuilding. Whether it’s The Judge throwing puppies off a bridge or kidnapping children, or the Glanton Gang wiping out a village and emerging doused in blood, gore is inseparable from the novel. To stay faithful, it must be front and centre. Studios, in turn, fear alienating audiences or facing extreme censorship. 

Why not alter the storyline to be more film-friendly? The brilliance of Blood Meridian lies in its writing. McCarthy’s style – no speech marks, untranslated Spanish, non-linear narrative, vivid description – gives the novel its acclaimed tone. Those adapting it seek to preserve that. Unfortunately, that same style doesn’t translate to screenplay. The dialogue would be too clunky and lengthy. James Franco even said, “Some of the Judge’s speeches … if done as they are in the book, would seem highfalutin.”  

Despite all this, there might finally be hope. In 2023, John Hillcoat was announced as the director for the latest version. Having previously adapted McCarthy’s The Road, he became good friends with the author. They co-wrote a screenplay, maintaining the complex tone while compromising with studios. Tragically, McCarthy passed away in 2023 and couldn’t finish the script. Still, Hillcoat continues with “years of notes from hours of conversation.” The film is in pre-production – so let’s hope that soon, one of the great American novels makes it to the big screen.