Author Ian Rankin revealed on Twitter that a National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) boss forbid filming in its galleries for the 2012 movie adaptation of Rankin’s 2008 novel, Doors Open.
Doors Open tells the story of three friends who plan a heist to “liberate” works of art from NGS storage. In reaction to a tweet recommending the new Netflix art heist series, Lupin, visual artist and NGS copywriter assistant Greag Mac a’ tSaoir was reminded of the Rankin thriller.
“…I read @Beathhigh’s Doors Open, about a gang robbing the NGS stores and it was like a personalised four hundred page anxiety attack,” tweeted Mac a’tSaoir.
Rankin responded to the @ and revealed that his plot was so good, the NGS took note. “They wouldn’t let us film in Edinburgh – boss of NGS said the plot was worryingly plausible…” tweeted Rankin.
That is high praise for the imagination of Rankin. He created a plot so good, NGS staff had a collective anxiety attack! No doubt there was an internal NGS meeting or two regarding the novel.
In consideration of a future printing of Doors Open, I’d like to recommend the following pull quote for the book’s cover…
“Worryingly plausible!”
Boss, National Galleries of Scotland
Home of Art Crime Podcast 