New Films in Production

[Marcel Gioberti]

I realize this is a ways off, but after the superb The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, I can't wait to see what becomes of this project.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1308750/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_of_the_Plain" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I guess they're skipping The Crossing in the film adaptations of The Border Trilogy. ](*,)

[med]

Cities of the Plain is the most cinematic of the novels, anyway; starting off as screenplay surely played a part. That said, a film version of The Crossing (something I'd rather not see, honestly, though I do love the book) isn't necessary unless you just want to be a completist about it. Each book in The Border Trilogy stands on its own, so should each potential film.

[GringoTex]

Cities of the Plain is the most cinematic of the novels, anyway; starting off as screenplay surely played a part. That said, a film version of The Crossing (something I'd rather not see, honestly, though I do love the book) isn't necessary unless you just want to be a completist about it. Each book in The Border Trilogy stands on its own, so should each potential film.

There's no way to understand Billy Parham in Cities of the Plain if you're not aware of The Crossing. I'd be happy for Dominik to reboot the franchise and do ATPH again, seeing as how Thornton so thoroughly fucked it up the first time.

[knives]

I wouldn't blame Thorton for that screw up. Supposedly the Weinsteins Miramaxed all over it.

[med]

Cities of the Plain is the most cinematic of the novels, anyway; starting off as screenplay surely played a part. That said, a film version of The Crossing (something I'd rather not see, honestly, though I do love the book) isn't necessary unless you just want to be a completist about it. Each book in The Border Trilogy stands on its own, so should each potential film.

There's no way to understand Billy Parham in Cities of the Plain if you're not aware of The Crossing. I'd be happy for Dominik to reboot the franchise and do ATPH again, seeing as how Thornton so thoroughly fucked it up the first time.

I think "no way" is phrasing it too strongly. Yes, you do get more out of reading Cities of the Plain if you're familiar with Parham's adventures in The Crossing, but I'd argue it isn't a necessity. But hey, The Crossing should be read anyway because it's such a wonderful novel.

Any film version of COTP would do well to not bother filming the final 20 or so pages. It did damage to the goodwill the book had established up to that point.

[hot_locket]

Is COTP actually confirmed a go? It looks suspiciously like someone just made the IMDB page based on an old interview with the director during which he mentioned having written the film among several other tentative projects. I'd be thrilled if it's legit, though-- loved Assassination of Jesse James to death.

[LastLament]

So much for predictability. Steven Soderbergh now brings you a spy action thriller starring an all-but unknown female MMA fighter.

[knives]

No evolution for you, America!

[Gator]

Matt Damon has signed on to star in the next Eastwood movie according to a profile of the actor in USA Today. Described as a 'Sixth Sense' style supernatural tale from scribe Peter Morgan, shooting will start early next year for Spielberg's company.

[flyonthewall2983]

Jeff Bridges is playing John Wayne's role in the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit.

[HarryLong]

Boy. There's a WTF announcement ...

[bigP]

Boy. There's a WTF announcement ...

Also add to that WTF announcement, an article by Ben Walters from the Guardian relating early news that Jeff Bridges may be reprising The Dude from The Big Lebowski for this remake.

[HarryLong]

So ... um ... time traveling is involved?

[hot_locket]

Boy. There's a WTF announcement ...

Also add to that WTF announcement, an article by Ben Walters from the Guardian relating early news that Jeff Bridges may be reprising The Dude from The Big Lebowski for this remake.

There's no way they could... the answer of my most secret prayers... what is going on...

[Kirkinson]

Also add to that WTF announcement, an article by Ben Walters from the Guardian relating early news that Jeff Bridges may be reprising The Dude from The Big Lebowski for this remake.

Walters doesn't mention having any other source for this besides the Variety article, which says nothing about Bridges reprising The Dude. And Walters' blog post on the subject a few days later doesn't mention it. And weirdly, only the headline of his original article suggests that Bridges might be playing The Dude -- the article itself says nothing like that. I suspect all we're seeing here is an overeager editor's misinterpretation (i.e., Walters wasn't responsible for the headline).

[MoonlitKnight]

Jeff Bridges is playing John Wayne's role in the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit.

Yikes, after "The Ladykillers" (still decent, but something was definitely 'off' about it), I was hoping the Coens would swear off the the remake cliche that is running Hollywood.

[Anhedionisiac]

In all fairness, the True Grit novel is markedly different from the 1969 movie that adapted it and the Coens have expressed that their interest in this project stems exclusively from the novel itself.

[MoonlitKnight]

Ah, I never realized "True Grit" was based on a novel. I guess that doesn't make it a remake, but an 'alternate adaptation' instead. :-"

[HarryLong]

(i.e., Walters wasn't responsible for the headline)

Ah, yes, I've seen many an article (of mine & others) weirdly skewed by an editor's oddly chosen headline.

[Antoine Doinel]

Mamet's Diary Of Anne Frank has been put in turnaround because it was too "intense, and dark and scary". ](*,)

[Oedipax]

Mustn't make the Holocaust too unpleasant.

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

Read the article: It isn't set during WWII.

It sounds interesting nevertheless.

[domino harvey]

Thank God the studio stopped an interesting movie from being made.

[HypnoHelioStaticStasis]

It's a wonderfully disingenuous title, no?

[Grand Illusion]

I'm sure the studio shot Mamet's "Anne Frank" down because it's a political nightmare in particularly contentious times. Because of the pro-Israel slant, they couldn't even look to foreign markets to defer some of the costs. It's a shame it didn't get made, and it's definitely because of more than its status as "dark and scary."