A Chilliwack man's tale of a road trip that ended with him walking through San Jose, Calif., in a hospital gown may be headed to the big screen.

Last week, Hollywood newspaper Variety reported that a pair of film companies have teamed up "to develop and finance a screenplay" based on Danny Hebert's first-person account of the trip.

Hebert confirmed the news to the Times.

It was last May when, in the midst of the Vancouver Canucks' playoff run, he, Jared Rempel, Cody Schlamb and David Vink decided on a whim to drive to California to cheer on their team.

After cheering a Vancouver victory, the road trip took a turn when they ran into Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini at a local bar. Hebert, who had been drinking, became ill and eventually had to be taken to hospital by paramedics. After waking up alone in hospital, he walked five miles through the city back to his hotel.

The men then drove back to Vancouver, where they found tickets to the next playoff game waiting for them, courtesy of Aquilini.

An email to friends eventually found its way to the online sports website Deadspin, which published Hebert's first-person account.

Friends told the four men that it sounded like a story straight out of a movie. Evidently some Hollywood professionals agreed.

Hebert said he was initially contacted by State Street Pictures about a month after the Deadspin story appeared.

After being contacted by State Street, which produced the successful Barbershop movie franchise, Hebert and his friends hired a lawyer familiar with the industry. A contract was subsequently signed that gave the two companies the rights to develop a screenplay based on their story.

Two writers-Peter Hoare and Chris Lilli-have since been contracted by the producers to pen a screenplay.

Hebert said little money has changed hands yet. But Hebert said he has talked extensively with the writers, who wanted to know more about the four friends and the dynamics of their friendship.

"They wanted to write it as true to character," Hebert said.

The Times asked Hebert who he would like to see play him in a movie, should one be made. "I really have no idea," he said, admitting that the concept of seeing a movie character based on him is still "weird."

Looking back, Hebert's not particularly proud of the weekend.

"I guess for me, personally, it's something absolutely ridiculous and stupid I did," he said. "It's not something I'd brag about. But it ended up working out OK."

tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com