Now it takes some time before the readers find out how the main character Danny Ryan is doing. “City of Dreams” has just been published in Swedish translation, and “City in Ruins” will be published in the USA in April.
In the first book, “City on Fire”, the main character Ryan, who belongs to the Irish mafia, is drawn into a war against the Italian mafia and is forced to flee. In “City of Dreams” he ends up during his escape in Hollywood and becomes a player in the film industry.
— In book number one he loses a war, book number two is a love story, albeit a tragic one, and in book number three he builds an empire, says Don Winslow.
Gangster story based on “The Iliad”
He has been working on the trilogy for 23 years, since he had the idea to write a gangster story based on the “Aeneid” and “Iliad”.
— Then I’ve written a series of books in the meantime in order to devote all my writing time to this trilogy in recent years. Trying to bring classic stories to a modern crime story has been challenging, and I’ve had my doubts. Would I make it?
The three books will become three films with Austin Butler, who had his breakthrough in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”, as Danny Ryan.
— It will be a good challenge for him, the story takes place over 20 years. During the work on the films, I am happy if I get to sit at the table when decisions have to be made. I am aware of the difference between books and movies, changes are required and I will respect the decisions they make, says Don Winslow.
Several of Winslow’s books are to be made into films. The Kartell trilogy (“I hundarnas vål”, “The Cartel” and “Gränsen”) will become a TV series and the police novel “Strength” will become a movie. Due to the two strikes in the film industry, all work has been down. He hopes it will start now.
He himself devotes time and money to fighting Donald Trump and his attempt to become president of the United States again. Winslow does it not least with the help of harsh attacks in videos that he posts on social media.
— I actually think they make an impression. We’ve had more than 250 million viewers, the one we posted the other day is already over six million. We have had help from, among others, Bruce Springsteen, who gave us music for one film, and from Jeff Daniels, who read the voiceover text for another. I think these films make an impression.
— It is not least because of this that I stop writing. I am 70 years old and now I want to use my money for this.
Don Winslow is worried about the possibility of Trump making a comeback, but believes that if you can get at least the young people to go and vote, then Trump will lose. And if he wins?
— Then it’s the end of the United States as we know it. He gave an incredibly Hitler-like speech the other day. That alone is a reason to take the fight.
Don Winslow has decided to put his money into fighting Donald Trump. Archive image.