You special kids can stop meddlin’ with your mashed potatoes because the last major bit of casting on Oliver Stone’s W. is close to a done deal: ass tamale Richard Dreyfuss will play elusive veep Dick Cheney. Wow. There wasn’t any question that Stone was going for the president’s jugular with this biopic, but Dreyfuss adds a bubbly new layer of vitriolic spittle. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dubbya chews dip, in both color and Stone’s signature b&w psycho-vision, for the entire running time. Wait, does one chew dip? I guess one dips it.
Moreover, SAG has shined its light on W., giving the Lionsgate production a waiver that allows filming to proceed if/when the strike goes down this summer. Like a ‘roided bull backing into a stable, it seems W. will arrive in theaters this October no matter what, right before the election (oh, that’s not over yet?). And according to the Hollywood Reporter (no linkage) a DVD release is purposely scheduled for Bush’s exit in January. That’s the sound of Indy’s whip!
Dreyfuss joins Josh Brolin as Dubbya, Elizabeth Banks as the smilin’ First Lady, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Rob Corddry as Ari Fleischer (\m/), Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush, James Cromwell as Poppa Bush, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, Toby Jones as Karl Rove, and America as Captain Happypants.
Discuss: Who was your choice for Cheney? Does Dreyfuss top it? How successful do you think W. will be at the domestic box office? Is the end near? What will Bush do after he leaves office?
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Spot on casting!
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
8 years too late.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Dreyfuss is perfect.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 am
I’m still unconvinced on the film itself, but goddamn if that isn’t a terrific cast. Hooper, Farmer Hogget, Bart Mancuso, and other cool actors who I don’t link to a single role.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Drefyuss is going from, “Do you know who I am?!? I’m Richard Dreyfuss! I’m an actor, goddammit!!!”
-to-
“Go fuck yourself!”
Perfect casting. :)
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
This movie might be a lot better than “Alexander”.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
They’ve been doing walk throughs and getting sets ready here in Shreveport so I’ve heard. I know Oliver Stone and Josh Brolin are doing stuff already.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:15 pm
If Philip Seymoor Hoffman was maybe 10-15 years older, he would fit the bill. But Dreyfuss should do well.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Something tells me he’s gonna nail that shit-eating grin…
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Good on you for not linking Hollywood Reporter. It’s one thing to take an internet stand one day, but to actually follow through after the initial buzz has died down is great.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:11 am
Excellent casting, though I agree PS Hoffman would’ve been better if he were a bit older.
“W” will be very successful at the box office I’m guessing.
Bush will add an oval office to his tree house and bomb people with water balloons.
Also, for the person’s who thinks Dreyfuss hasn’t made anything good since “What About Bob?” I think you must not have seen “Mr. Holland’s Opus”.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
i never followed dreyfuss, but i liked mr hollands opus, and i liked close encounters.. i lost respect for him from the ass tamale article though.
June 6th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I would have thought that Willem Dafoe would make a perfect Cheney (or Rumsfeld).