Judy Greer, Paul Sparks, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Annie Parisse, Kate Arrington and Alexander Skarsgard are set to star in the adaptation of Eric Larue, with Michael Shannon making his directorial debut on the film that is currently in production.
Written by Brett Neveu, the film is based on Neveu’s play of the same name and follows the mother of a 17-year-old boy, who shot and killed three of his classmates. As she faces a meeting of the mothers of the other boys, and a long-delayed visit to her son in prison, the story becomes not about the violence but about what we choose to think and do in order to survive trauma.
The film is produced by Sarah Green from Brace Cove Productions, Karl Hartman from Big Indie Pictures, and Jina Panebianco from CaliWood Pictures. Jeff Nichols, R. Wesley Sierk III, Byron Wetzel, Meghan Schumacher, Declan Baldwin and John D.
Written by Brett Neveu, the film is based on Neveu’s play of the same name and follows the mother of a 17-year-old boy, who shot and killed three of his classmates. As she faces a meeting of the mothers of the other boys, and a long-delayed visit to her son in prison, the story becomes not about the violence but about what we choose to think and do in order to survive trauma.
The film is produced by Sarah Green from Brace Cove Productions, Karl Hartman from Big Indie Pictures, and Jina Panebianco from CaliWood Pictures. Jeff Nichols, R. Wesley Sierk III, Byron Wetzel, Meghan Schumacher, Declan Baldwin and John D.
- 7/28/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Michael Shannon is set to make his directorial debut with Eric Larue, a movie based on the Brett Neveu play that debuted in 2002 at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, where Shannon is a founding member. Neveu is also adapting the script.
The film had been scheduled to shoot in Arkansas. But since the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v Wade triggered that state’s Act 180 of 2019 which bans nearly all abortions, including cases of rape and incest, the filmmakers have withdrawn from Arkansas and will now be shooting in and around Wilmington, Nc.
For Neveu, Eric Larue‘s origin as a play was in response to the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. The play premiered in 2002 at the Red Orchid. Almost 15 years after its debut, Shannon was directing the play Traitor (which is a new retelling of Neveu’s An Enemy of the People...
The film had been scheduled to shoot in Arkansas. But since the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v Wade triggered that state’s Act 180 of 2019 which bans nearly all abortions, including cases of rape and incest, the filmmakers have withdrawn from Arkansas and will now be shooting in and around Wilmington, Nc.
For Neveu, Eric Larue‘s origin as a play was in response to the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. The play premiered in 2002 at the Red Orchid. Almost 15 years after its debut, Shannon was directing the play Traitor (which is a new retelling of Neveu’s An Enemy of the People...
- 7/5/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Fabio Frey’s feature directorial debut My Dead Dad has been acquired by OneFifty for HBO Max where it will premiere on June 1st.
The film stars Pedro Correa—who wrote the project alongside Frey— as young burnout Lucas who, after hearing his estranged father has passed away, undertakes the responsibility of managing an inherited apartment complex in Los Angeles. Determined to sell off the complex without a second thought, Lucas meets the eclectic tenants and soon discovers his father was a different man than the one he knew.
The film also stars Simon Rex, Chris Pontius, Booboo Stewart, Courtney Dietz, Raymond Cruz, and Steven Bauer.
“HBO Max has been a dream platform for us since we first started writing this deeply personal story. To see it come to fruition and be available to U.S. audiences is everything we could have asked for. We are grateful to the...
The film stars Pedro Correa—who wrote the project alongside Frey— as young burnout Lucas who, after hearing his estranged father has passed away, undertakes the responsibility of managing an inherited apartment complex in Los Angeles. Determined to sell off the complex without a second thought, Lucas meets the eclectic tenants and soon discovers his father was a different man than the one he knew.
The film also stars Simon Rex, Chris Pontius, Booboo Stewart, Courtney Dietz, Raymond Cruz, and Steven Bauer.
“HBO Max has been a dream platform for us since we first started writing this deeply personal story. To see it come to fruition and be available to U.S. audiences is everything we could have asked for. We are grateful to the...
- 5/24/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The Woodstock Film Festival will resume indoor screenings at its 22nd annual edition this fall, and also will recognize Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn with a career honor.
This year’s festival will run from September 30 to October 3. It has carved out a notable place in the fall fest circuit because of its location, which is 110 miles north of New York City and also close to a number of film industry figures in the Hudson Valley. The surrounding region has also become more active in terms of film and TV production in recent years, adding multiple new soundstages.
Quinn will receive the festival’s 2021 Honorary Trailblazer Award. Before Covid-19 turned the 2020 edition into a hybrid affair with drive-ins and online screenings, Quinn had been scheduled to get the award last year, on the heels of Neon’s triumph with Parasite. The film, which had its world premiere in Cannes...
This year’s festival will run from September 30 to October 3. It has carved out a notable place in the fall fest circuit because of its location, which is 110 miles north of New York City and also close to a number of film industry figures in the Hudson Valley. The surrounding region has also become more active in terms of film and TV production in recent years, adding multiple new soundstages.
Quinn will receive the festival’s 2021 Honorary Trailblazer Award. Before Covid-19 turned the 2020 edition into a hybrid affair with drive-ins and online screenings, Quinn had been scheduled to get the award last year, on the heels of Neon’s triumph with Parasite. The film, which had its world premiere in Cannes...
- 7/20/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Pedro Correa (The Middle), Booboo Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad), Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise) and Steven Bauer (Scarface) will star in My Dead Dad, a coming-of-age indie drama from executive producers Declan Baldwin and Karl Hartman of Big Indie Pictures, the production company behind acclaimed films like Manchester by the Sea and Beautiful Boy.
Correa also co-wrote the alongside the film’s director Fabio Frey. It’s about a young burnout who discovers his estranged father is dead and has left him an apartment complex. With hopes of cutting ties, he’s forced to grow up and learn about the father he never knew through the eclectic tenants.
Wanderwell Entertainment’s Tara Ansley produced the pic with Correa for Never Norm Films.
Big Indie Pictures currently has Chemical Hearts, Troop Zero, I’m Your Woman and Hunters all available on Amazon Prime.
Correa also co-wrote the alongside the film’s director Fabio Frey. It’s about a young burnout who discovers his estranged father is dead and has left him an apartment complex. With hopes of cutting ties, he’s forced to grow up and learn about the father he never knew through the eclectic tenants.
Wanderwell Entertainment’s Tara Ansley produced the pic with Correa for Never Norm Films.
Big Indie Pictures currently has Chemical Hearts, Troop Zero, I’m Your Woman and Hunters all available on Amazon Prime.
- 1/28/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Vertical Entertainment has brokered a deal for the North American distribution rights to The True Adventures of Wolfboy, starring Knives Out and It actor Jaeden Martell (formerly credited as Jaeden Lieberher), Sophie Giannamore (The L Word Generation Q), Chris Messina (Away We Go), Eve Hewson (Bridge of Spies), and John Turturro (The Night Of). Czech-born filmmaker and first-time feature helmer Martin Krejci directed the pic, which will be released on-demand and digital release on Oct. 30.
Written by Olivia Dufault, the drama follows Paul (Martell) who lives an isolated life with his father in upstate New York. He finds making friends impossible due to a rare condition he has known as congenital hypertrichosis – an affliction that causes an abnormal amount of hair growth all over his face and body. On his 13th birthday, Paul receives a mysterious gift that compels him to run away and seek out the mother he has never known.
Written by Olivia Dufault, the drama follows Paul (Martell) who lives an isolated life with his father in upstate New York. He finds making friends impossible due to a rare condition he has known as congenital hypertrichosis – an affliction that causes an abnormal amount of hair growth all over his face and body. On his 13th birthday, Paul receives a mysterious gift that compels him to run away and seek out the mother he has never known.
- 9/24/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
by Peter Belsito
“Thoroughbred” is a two character piece set in an imposing residence where the young women, teenagers, come together for tutoring but it quickly develops beyond that into new — and dangerous — territory.Director Cory Finley with stars Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy
Emotionally challenged Amanda and contemptuous Lily reboot their childhood friendship after years of instability and judgment, thrown back together by standardized-test tutoring.
When Lily’s icy stepdad, Mark, conspires to ship her off to reform school instead of her dream college, Amanda’s nonchalant quips about killing him suddenly seem enticing. Even as Amanda’s sinister tendencies surface and the girls hatch a plan, the mutual manipulation that has always defined their relationship threatens to derail their ambitions.
They have a history which enables them to confide and challenge and manipulate one another.
Part of the attraction of this film is the unstable emotional ground each inhabits...
“Thoroughbred” is a two character piece set in an imposing residence where the young women, teenagers, come together for tutoring but it quickly develops beyond that into new — and dangerous — territory.Director Cory Finley with stars Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy
Emotionally challenged Amanda and contemptuous Lily reboot their childhood friendship after years of instability and judgment, thrown back together by standardized-test tutoring.
When Lily’s icy stepdad, Mark, conspires to ship her off to reform school instead of her dream college, Amanda’s nonchalant quips about killing him suddenly seem enticing. Even as Amanda’s sinister tendencies surface and the girls hatch a plan, the mutual manipulation that has always defined their relationship threatens to derail their ambitions.
They have a history which enables them to confide and challenge and manipulate one another.
Part of the attraction of this film is the unstable emotional ground each inhabits...
- 1/27/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Today, the Directors Guild of America (or DGA) announced their nominees, further shaping the Oscar race. They come hot on the heels of yesterday featuring the American Society of Cinematographers (or Asc) announcing, as well as the Makeup Artists & Hair Stylists Guild. Earlier today, before DGA, the Costume Designers Guild announced too. They’ll all be seen, but the DGA is the one to focus on. They’re the precursor of this lot that’s truly going to shape the race. Historically, you try not to bet against the majority of DGA nominees scoring with Oscar. It’s just a very predictive and powerful guild… As you’ll see momentarily below, the DGA wound up citing the usual three suspects in Damien Chazelle for La La Land, Barry Jenkins for Arrival, and Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester by the Sea. From there, things got interesting. Many pundits, myself included, had predicted...
- 1/12/2017
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Kenneth Lonergan’s acclaimed Sundance Premieres selection has sold out around the world as Nick Meyer and his team concluded a string of deals including a multi-territory pact with Universal Pictures International Productions.
After Amazon Studios stumped up $10m for North American rights following the drama’s world premiere in Park City, Universal has acquired rights for Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Middle East, and Cis.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions got behind Manchester By The Sea when Sierra/Affinity commenced pre-sales at the Efm in 2015 and will distribute in Latin America, Scandinavia, Iceland, Asian pay TV, Baltics, Czech/Slovak, former-Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
Manchester By The Sea: Screen’s Sundance review
Kenneth Lonergan interview
UK rights have gone to Studio Canal, South Africa to Ster Kinekor, South Korea to Able Entertainment, Taiwan to Caichange International, Hong Kong to Golden Scene, Thailand to M Pictures...
After Amazon Studios stumped up $10m for North American rights following the drama’s world premiere in Park City, Universal has acquired rights for Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Middle East, and Cis.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions got behind Manchester By The Sea when Sierra/Affinity commenced pre-sales at the Efm in 2015 and will distribute in Latin America, Scandinavia, Iceland, Asian pay TV, Baltics, Czech/Slovak, former-Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
Manchester By The Sea: Screen’s Sundance review
Kenneth Lonergan interview
UK rights have gone to Studio Canal, South Africa to Ster Kinekor, South Korea to Able Entertainment, Taiwan to Caichange International, Hong Kong to Golden Scene, Thailand to M Pictures...
- 2/3/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Kenneth Lonergan’s acclaimed Sundance Premieres selection has sold out around the world as Nick Meyer and his team concluded a string of deals including a multi-territory pact with Universal Pictures International Production.
After Amazon Studios stumped up $10m for North American rights following the drama’s world premiere in Park City, Universal has acquired rights for Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Middle East, and Cis.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions got behind Manchester By The Sea when Sierra/Affinity commenced pre-sales at the Efm in 2015 and will distribute in Latin America, Scandinavia, Iceland, Asian pay TV, Baltics, Czech/Slovak, former-Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
UK rights have gone to Studio Canal, South Africa to Ster Kinekor, South Korea to Able Entertainment, Taiwan to Caichange International, Hong Kong to Golden Scene, Thailand to M Pictures, Portugal to Lusomundo, Switzerland to Ascot Elite, Israel to United...
After Amazon Studios stumped up $10m for North American rights following the drama’s world premiere in Park City, Universal has acquired rights for Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Middle East, and Cis.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions got behind Manchester By The Sea when Sierra/Affinity commenced pre-sales at the Efm in 2015 and will distribute in Latin America, Scandinavia, Iceland, Asian pay TV, Baltics, Czech/Slovak, former-Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
UK rights have gone to Studio Canal, South Africa to Ster Kinekor, South Korea to Able Entertainment, Taiwan to Caichange International, Hong Kong to Golden Scene, Thailand to M Pictures, Portugal to Lusomundo, Switzerland to Ascot Elite, Israel to United...
- 2/3/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This Tuesday, genre fans have a Lot to look forward to, as we have a trifecta of horror classics coming from Scream Factory, as well as the new 4K restoration of the 1920 German classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from Kino Lorber.
As if that’s not enough, Image Entertainment is releasing the Limited Edition Fifth Dimension box set for The Twilight Zone this week, the cult classics Moontrap, Christmas Evil and Trancers are all making their HD debuts and we’ve got a few indie films being released on November 18th too, including Automata, Housebound and Ragnarok.
Spotlight Titles:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari- 4K Restored (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)
In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the movement known as German Expressionism into film history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world.
As if that’s not enough, Image Entertainment is releasing the Limited Edition Fifth Dimension box set for The Twilight Zone this week, the cult classics Moontrap, Christmas Evil and Trancers are all making their HD debuts and we’ve got a few indie films being released on November 18th too, including Automata, Housebound and Ragnarok.
Spotlight Titles:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari- 4K Restored (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)
In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the movement known as German Expressionism into film history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world.
- 11/18/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Back in 2007 I posted my list of the top ten Stephen King adaptations. It's always funny to revisit such lists because there will always be one or two placements that have me scratching my head. In this case it would be the placement of 1408 (still a good adaptation mind you) over both The Shining and The Green Mile. However, the placing of George A. Romero's The Dark Half at #3 would still remain, an opinion again solidified after revisiting the 1993 Jekyll and Hyde thriller on Shout Factory's new Blu-ray release. It's always been easier for filmmakers to adapt King's less fantastical stories to the big screen, films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Misery and even The Green Mile, which is definitely fantastical, but not to the extent of so many other King stories. However, when it comes to the weirder stories, it's not just the narratives that have that particular...
- 10/31/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Though he’s best known for his legions of the living dead, George A. Romero has captured other deadly forces with his camera, including a psychotic pseudonym come to life in The Dark Half (based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name) and a murderous primate in Monkey Shines. Scream Factory is bringing both films to Blu-ray with bonus features, including new audio commentaries by Romero.
Press Release - “This fall, Scream Factory will release The Dark Half and Monkey Shines, two horror favorites from acclaimed director George A. Romero. Making their Blu-ray debuts on November 18th, 2014, each release also boasts brand new bonus features including all new audio commentaries with George A. Romero, new retrospective featurettes with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes and much more! In addition, fans who order their copies from ShoutFactory.com will have their order shipped three weeks early!
Press Release - “This fall, Scream Factory will release The Dark Half and Monkey Shines, two horror favorites from acclaimed director George A. Romero. Making their Blu-ray debuts on November 18th, 2014, each release also boasts brand new bonus features including all new audio commentaries with George A. Romero, new retrospective featurettes with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes and much more! In addition, fans who order their copies from ShoutFactory.com will have their order shipped three weeks early!
- 9/23/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Filmmaker tandem Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland know a thing or two about being on opposite ends of luck. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, but after breaking out with Quinceañera at Sundance back in 2006 (it got picked up by Spc and generated good box-office numbers), the pair had difficulties setting up their sophomore feature. They got their groove back when they dug into Hollywood folklore and sifted thru silver screen legend Errol Flynn‘s timeline – the lucky actor who hit jackpot and had a life that mimicked the notion of rags to riches to rags. An example of a film that might have got lost in the abyss of films presented at Tiff last September, but that might nudge out an afterlife theatrically, The Wrap reports that Samuel Goldwyn Films have picked up The Last of Robin Hood. A fall release is expected.
Gist: This revolves around...
Gist: This revolves around...
- 4/10/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up Us rights to Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s The Last Of Robin Hood. Separately, Vertical Entertainment has picked up Behaving Badly.
Goldwyn plans an autumn release for Lifetime Films’ The Last Of Robin Hood, which stars Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn in a twilight years romance with starlet Beverly Aadland played by Dakota Fanning. Susan Sarandon also stars.
Samuel Goldwyn Films brokered the deal with Lifetime Films / A+E Studios and Cinetic Media.
Declan Baldwin, Maggie Malina, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon produced the Lifetime Films presentation in association with Killer Films and Big Indie Pictures.
Todd Haynes, Rob Sharenow, Tanya Lopez, Molly Thompson, Colleen McCormick and Lisa Hamilton Daly served as executive producers.
Vertical Entertainment has acquired all Us rights from Voltage Pictures and Preferred Content to Behaving Badly from Tim Garrick. Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, [link...
Goldwyn plans an autumn release for Lifetime Films’ The Last Of Robin Hood, which stars Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn in a twilight years romance with starlet Beverly Aadland played by Dakota Fanning. Susan Sarandon also stars.
Samuel Goldwyn Films brokered the deal with Lifetime Films / A+E Studios and Cinetic Media.
Declan Baldwin, Maggie Malina, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon produced the Lifetime Films presentation in association with Killer Films and Big Indie Pictures.
Todd Haynes, Rob Sharenow, Tanya Lopez, Molly Thompson, Colleen McCormick and Lisa Hamilton Daly served as executive producers.
Vertical Entertainment has acquired all Us rights from Voltage Pictures and Preferred Content to Behaving Badly from Tim Garrick. Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, [link...
- 4/9/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up Us rights to Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s The Last Of Robin Hood. Separately, Vertical Entertainment has picked up Behaving Badly.
Goldwyn plans an autumn release for Lifetime Films’ The Last Of Robin Hood, which stars Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn in a twilight years romance with starlet Beverly Aadland played by Dakota Fanning. Susan Sarandon also stars.
Samuel Goldwyn Films brokered the deal with Lifetime Films / A+E Studios and Cinetic Media.
Declan Baldwin, Maggie Malina, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon produced the Lifetime Films presentation in association with Killer Films and Big Indie Pictures.
Todd Haynes, Rob Sharenow, Tanya Lopez, Molly Thompson, Colleen McCormick and Lisa Hamilton Daly served as executive producers.
Vertical Entertainment has acquired all Us rights from Voltage Pictures and Preferred Content to Behaving Badly from Tim Garrick. Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, [link...
Goldwyn plans an autumn release for Lifetime Films’ The Last Of Robin Hood, which stars Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn in a twilight years romance with starlet Beverly Aadland played by Dakota Fanning. Susan Sarandon also stars.
Samuel Goldwyn Films brokered the deal with Lifetime Films / A+E Studios and Cinetic Media.
Declan Baldwin, Maggie Malina, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon produced the Lifetime Films presentation in association with Killer Films and Big Indie Pictures.
Todd Haynes, Rob Sharenow, Tanya Lopez, Molly Thompson, Colleen McCormick and Lisa Hamilton Daly served as executive producers.
Vertical Entertainment has acquired all Us rights from Voltage Pictures and Preferred Content to Behaving Badly from Tim Garrick. Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, [link...
- 4/9/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Here’s something interesting – Dakota Fanning has joined the cast of The Last of Robin Hood, an upcoming biopic of Hollywood legend Errol Flynn. In case you’re not so familiar with this fresh project, let us first inform you that Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland are in charge for the whole thing, and that the rest of the cast looks great as well. For more details – check out the rest of this report…
So, The Last of Robin Hood is both written and directed by Quinceanera helmers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, and at this moment we know that the movie will chronicle the final years of Errol Flynn‘s life.
Kevin Kline will take the lead role while Dakota Fanning is set to play his teenage lover Beverly Aadland, a 17-years-old girl who was by Flynn’s side when he died at age 50 in 1959.
Susan Sarandon is also...
So, The Last of Robin Hood is both written and directed by Quinceanera helmers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, and at this moment we know that the movie will chronicle the final years of Errol Flynn‘s life.
Kevin Kline will take the lead role while Dakota Fanning is set to play his teenage lover Beverly Aadland, a 17-years-old girl who was by Flynn’s side when he died at age 50 in 1959.
Susan Sarandon is also...
- 1/24/2013
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
Actress-writer Jennifer Westfeldt is reteaming with her Kissing Jessica Stein producer Brad Zions of Breakout Pictures on her script Ira & Abby: A Divorce Story. Director Robert Cary (Anything But Love) will start filming the neurotic screwball comedy, budgeted at around $2.5 million, on Nov. 12 in Manhattan. As the title characters, Westfeldt and Chris Messina (Road) marry on the spur of the moment, leading to a chain of affairs involving their parents (Frances Conroy, Fred Willard and Robert Klein), exes and therapists. Additional casting is expected before the 26-day shoot, said Westfeldt, who executive produces with Jennifer Todd and Ilana Levine, along with co-producer Declan Baldwin. Westfeldt said she hopes to cast other members of the Stein cast as well as six celebrity therapists for cameos in the film's finale.
- 11/2/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's not exactly a great mystery to see why Clare Peploe's "Rough Magic" has been floating around in release limbo for the past couple of years.
One of those steeped-in-magic-and-mysticism pictures, this deliberate confusion of screen conventions quickly wears out its overly perky welcome.
Like "Wilder Napalm" and "The Linguini Incident" before it, "Rough Magic" should serve as a handy example of "now you see it, now you don't" at the boxoffice.
Bridget Fonda is Myra Shumway, a magician's assistant in 1950s Los Angeles. She hightails it to Mexico in her shiny Buick convertible when her aspiring politician fiance, Cliff (D.W. Moffett), inadvertently shoots and kills the fatherly illusionist, played by Kenneth Mars.
There she meets up with Doc Ansell (Jim Broadbent), a street huckster who sells Miracle Elixir to the townsfolk; as well as Alex Ross Russell Crowe), a world-weary newspaperman who has been dispatched by Cliff to retrieve a roll of film from Myra that implicates him in the murder.
Of course, Alex ends up falling for the unwitting Myra, but not before she encounters a powerful Mayan sorceress (Euva Anderson), who endows her with the ability to lay giant tarantula eggs, turn annoying men into sausages and bestow on dogs the gift of speech, among other talents.
Peploe, who based her fractured fable on James Hadley Chase's "Miss Shumway Waves a Wand" (with an assist from William Brookfield and Robert Mundy), is obviously a big fan of the novel, but it would have been better left unfilmed. The story's flights of fancy work more effectively on the printed page, where the reader's imagination can take over. On the screen, they're self-consciously precious and grow rapidly tiresome.
The leads are similarly out of kilter. Dressed and coiffed to resemble, say, Veronica Lake and Joseph Cotten, Fonda and Crowe have the looks down but little of the substance or pulp. Old pro Jim Broadbent fares better as the Sydney Greenstreet-esque quack, while funnyman Paul Rodriguez scores some character points as a slimy thug who gets his just deserts.
Visually, the picture hits its requisite marks with some strong period production design from Waldemar Kalinowski and costume design from Richard
Hornung. DP John J. Campbell does some nice things with bright light that help conjure the magical realism.
ROUGH MAGIC
Goldwyn distributed through Metromedia Entertainment Group
UGC Images and Recorded Picture Company
present
in association with Martin Scorsese
A UGC Images production
A Clare Peploe film
Director:Clare Peploe
Producers:Laurie Parker and Declan Baldwin
Screenwriters:Robert Mundy and William Brookfield & Clare Peploe
Based on the novel "Miss Shumway Waves a Wand" by: James Hadley Chase
Executive producers:Yves Attal, Jonathan Taplin, Andrew Karsch
Director of photography:John J. Campbell
Production designer:Waldemar Kalinowski
Editor:Suzanne Fenn
Music:Richard Hartley
Costume designer:Richard Hornung
Color/stereo
Cast:
Myra Shumway:Bridget Fonda
Alex Ross:Russell Crowe
Doc Ansell:Jim Broadbent
Cliff Wyatt:D.W. Moffett
Magician:Kenneth Mars
Diego:Paul Rodriguez
Diego's Wife/Tojola:Euva Anderson
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13...
One of those steeped-in-magic-and-mysticism pictures, this deliberate confusion of screen conventions quickly wears out its overly perky welcome.
Like "Wilder Napalm" and "The Linguini Incident" before it, "Rough Magic" should serve as a handy example of "now you see it, now you don't" at the boxoffice.
Bridget Fonda is Myra Shumway, a magician's assistant in 1950s Los Angeles. She hightails it to Mexico in her shiny Buick convertible when her aspiring politician fiance, Cliff (D.W. Moffett), inadvertently shoots and kills the fatherly illusionist, played by Kenneth Mars.
There she meets up with Doc Ansell (Jim Broadbent), a street huckster who sells Miracle Elixir to the townsfolk; as well as Alex Ross Russell Crowe), a world-weary newspaperman who has been dispatched by Cliff to retrieve a roll of film from Myra that implicates him in the murder.
Of course, Alex ends up falling for the unwitting Myra, but not before she encounters a powerful Mayan sorceress (Euva Anderson), who endows her with the ability to lay giant tarantula eggs, turn annoying men into sausages and bestow on dogs the gift of speech, among other talents.
Peploe, who based her fractured fable on James Hadley Chase's "Miss Shumway Waves a Wand" (with an assist from William Brookfield and Robert Mundy), is obviously a big fan of the novel, but it would have been better left unfilmed. The story's flights of fancy work more effectively on the printed page, where the reader's imagination can take over. On the screen, they're self-consciously precious and grow rapidly tiresome.
The leads are similarly out of kilter. Dressed and coiffed to resemble, say, Veronica Lake and Joseph Cotten, Fonda and Crowe have the looks down but little of the substance or pulp. Old pro Jim Broadbent fares better as the Sydney Greenstreet-esque quack, while funnyman Paul Rodriguez scores some character points as a slimy thug who gets his just deserts.
Visually, the picture hits its requisite marks with some strong period production design from Waldemar Kalinowski and costume design from Richard
Hornung. DP John J. Campbell does some nice things with bright light that help conjure the magical realism.
ROUGH MAGIC
Goldwyn distributed through Metromedia Entertainment Group
UGC Images and Recorded Picture Company
present
in association with Martin Scorsese
A UGC Images production
A Clare Peploe film
Director:Clare Peploe
Producers:Laurie Parker and Declan Baldwin
Screenwriters:Robert Mundy and William Brookfield & Clare Peploe
Based on the novel "Miss Shumway Waves a Wand" by: James Hadley Chase
Executive producers:Yves Attal, Jonathan Taplin, Andrew Karsch
Director of photography:John J. Campbell
Production designer:Waldemar Kalinowski
Editor:Suzanne Fenn
Music:Richard Hartley
Costume designer:Richard Hornung
Color/stereo
Cast:
Myra Shumway:Bridget Fonda
Alex Ross:Russell Crowe
Doc Ansell:Jim Broadbent
Cliff Wyatt:D.W. Moffett
Magician:Kenneth Mars
Diego:Paul Rodriguez
Diego's Wife/Tojola:Euva Anderson
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13...
- 5/30/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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