Posted on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 by Angie Han
Between Mad Men, Pan Am, and The Playboy Club, you’d think television would have gotten its fill of glossy dramas about the 1960s, but it seems those shows may soon have to make room for one more. Precious director Lee Daniels is set to develop Jacqueline Susann’s 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls for NBC. The book follows three women over two decades as they hit highs and lows and eventually self-destruct. More details after the jump.
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When Universal gave Tony Gilroy a mandate to make a new Bourne film that might establish a series parallel to the existing trilogy starring Matt Damon, he pledged a story that would take place in the same world and expand upon some background elements seen in the three Damon films.
To that effect he has been recruiting actors who aren’t Matt Damon but who did play important roles in the existing trilogy. Not long ago he pulled in Joan Allen and Albert Finney to reprise their roles, and now he’s got Scott Glenn back in the fold as well. The actor will once again play CIA director Ezra Kramer in The Bourne Legacy. But not until after he plays a part in Precious director Lee Daniels‘ new film The Paperboy. Read More »
Posted on Thursday, July 28th, 2011 by Angie Han
Alia Shawkat may not be quite as ubiquitous as Arrested Development co-star Jason Bateman, but she’s been quietly beefing up her film resume over the past few years. Recently, Shawkat added two more projects to her slate: He Loves Me, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris‘ follow-up to Little Miss Sunshine; and The Brass Teapot, starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano.
He Loves Me revolves around a lonely young novelist (Paul Dano) who writes a fictional dream girl for himself — and manages to will her into existence. (She’ll be played by Dano’s real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the script). Shawkat will play a hipster who’s obsessed with one of Dano’s literary creations, and who has a crush on the novelist himself. Annette Bening, Deborah Ann Woll, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, and Chris Messina are also set to star.
The Brass Teapot marks the feature film debut of director Ramaa Mosley, known for her work in commercials and music videos. The dark comedy follows “a broke young couple who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain.” Shawkat will play the best friend of Temple’s character; I’m assuming Temple and Angarano will play the main couple. [Variety]
After the jump, Animal Kingdom star Jacki Weaver picks up a new gig, and David Oyelowo signs up for Lee Daniels’ new project.
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Posted on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 by Angie Han
Last month, Nicole Kidman came in as a replacement for Sofia Vergara on The Paperboy, after Vergara and Tobey Maguire dropped out of the project due to scheduling issues. Now, a new actor has stepped up to fill Maguire’s role: John Cusack. Based on a 1955 novel by Pete Doctor, The Paperboy follows a reporter and his brother as they investigate a murder that put the suspect on death row. Cusack will play the part of the prisoner. Kidman, as previously reported, will be a woman who writes letters to inmates on death row.
The Paperboy marks Lee Daniels‘ follow-up to 2009′s Precious, which was nominated for six Academy Awards. The film will also star Zac Efron; Matthew McConaughey is currently in advanced negotiations. [Variety]
After the jump, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, Chris Messina, and Deborah Ann Woll sign up for the Little Miss Sunshine team’s new project.
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Posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 by Angie Han
Normally, when a star drops out of a project just before it’s set to begin shooting, it’s a big setback. In Lee Daniels‘ case, Tobey Maguire‘s exit from The Paperboy could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maguire recently dropped out of the film, which was originally scheduled to begin this summer. His exit pushed back the timetable for the project, forcing would-be co-star Sofia Vergara to quit due to conflicts with her Modern Family shooting schedule. Now producers are in talks with Nicole Kidman to replace Vergara — a pretty impressive upgrade, at least in terms of star wattage.
Based on a 1955 novel by Pete Dexter, The Paperboy revolves around a reporter who works with his brother to investigate a murder that put the suspect on death row. Kidman would play “a woman with a dark side” who first draws the reporter’s attention to the case, and eventually strikes up a relationship with him. Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron are still on board to co-star; there’s no word yet on who might be replacing Maguire. [The Hollywood Reporter]
After the jump, Rosario Dawson joins Josh Duhamel, Bruce Willis, and Curtis Jackson a.k.a. 50 Cent in Fire with Fire, Jeremy Irons signs on for Night Train to Lisbon, and I continue to avoid all the obvious puns, for once.
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Making a decision about his follow-up to Precious hasn’t been a speedy process for Lee Daniels. He was developing Selma for some time, before lack of funding and complications with the Martin Luther King estate pushed that away. There is the Black List script The Butler, which was looking like his next project (and may still be). There were other possibilities, too: the musical The Scottsboro Boys, a remake of Nights of Cabiria (please: no) and Anna in the Tropics.
Then in February, we heard that he might direct The Paperboy, based on Pete Dexter‘s 1955 novel by the same name. Now he is confirmed to make that last movie, and a cast is in place: Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire, Sofia Vergara, and Zac Efron. Read More »
Well, it’s better than remaking Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria.
Lee Daniels is still riding a wave of influence inexplicably generated by Precious, and he continues to accrue possible directorial projects. While it appears that he’ll make The Butler next, with Civil Rights project Selma falling by the wayside, the filmmaker is signing on for other films to make down the road. There’s the remake of Nights of Cabiria — a terrible idea if ever there was one — and a possible film version of the stage musical The Scottsboro Boys. And now Lee Daniels has booked time to develop a film version of Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer and Steinberg Prize-winning Broadway play Anna in the Tropics. Read More »
Oh, lord. In a story about Precious director Lee Daniels moving to CAA, I expected to find some indication of whether his next film would indeed be The Butler for Sony, or if he might actually make Selma, the film he worked to get off the ground for much of this year. It’s still looking like The Butler will be his next. But there’s another tidbit in there, too: the director is attached to remake Frederico Fellini‘s Nights of Cabiria. What? Read More »
