The strange life of Eadweard Muybridge, the man behind the revolutionary zoopraxiscope device, has inspired a new live-action feature. Directed by Kyle Rideout and produced by Josh Epstein (Wait for Rain), the feature is described as a psychological thriller and will star Michael Eklund as the 19th century English photographer and inventor, says The Hollywood Reporter. The film’s script is written by Rideout and Epstein, based on the play by the Electric Company Theatre.
Muybridge is best known for pioneering motion photography by installing photos of humans and animals in action in his devices and creating the illusion of motion with his zoopraxiscope device. The device projected a series of still pictures of running horses in a manner that suggested movement to the viewer. It is said that Thomas A. Edison saw a demonstration of the device and was inspired to develop true motion pictures. Muybridge’s personal life was also quite interesting as he murdered his wife’s lover and received a justifiable homicide verdict.
Rideout and Epstein’s short Wait for Rain won the best science fiction/fantasy award at the 2012 Comic-Con International Film Festival.
