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Burn After Reading (Joel & Ethan Coen, 2008)
Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:09 pm
by Jeff
After dancing around a number of ideas, the Coen Brothers have committed to their next project, which starts shooting in just a few months. It's good to see them back in original screenplay territory again, with McDormand back in front of her husband's camera.
From
The Hollywood Reporter:
Pitt feels the 'Burn' for Coens
By Tatiana Siegel
April 20, 2007
Brad Pitt has signed on to join his "Ocean's Thirteen" co-star George Clooney in the Coen brothers' "Burn After Reading" for Working Title Films.
The black comedy, which also stars Frances McDormand, centers on a CIA agent who loses the disc of the book he is writing. Like the film's title, the screenplay is shrouded in secrecy, and it is unclear what role Pitt will play.
The actor will begin shooting the film in late August.
Joel and Ethan Coen penned the screenplay, and Joel Coen will direct the contemporary project.
Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are producing alongside the Coens. Focus Features will distribute worldwide.
Pitt, whose "Ocean's Thirteen" will unspool at next month's Festival de Cannes, recently wrapped Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Assassination of Jesse James." The "Babel" star's upcoming films also include Paramount Pictures' "Benjamin Button," which he is finishing in New Orleans.
He is repped by CAA, Brillstein-Grey and attorney Alan Hergott.
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:10 pm
by Titus
Kind of interesting that Pitt's in this -- I'd always figured those rumors about him starring in a pseudo-silent war film the Coens' were doing were some sort of hoax, but perhaps there was some degree of truth to them.
And I agree regarding it being an original script; hopefully this and No Country can wash out the aftertaste of their last two pictures.
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:19 am
by Jeff
Apparently, the Coens are abandoning the great Roger Deakins in favor of the equally great Emmanuel Lubezki on this one. The "handheld verite-style" bit scares me a little.
Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 11:58 pm
by Antoine Doinel
John Malkovich has joined the cast.
Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:17 pm
by Jeff
Antoine Doinel wrote:John Malkovich has joined the cast.
Here is what
The Hollywood Reporter says. I'm pleasantly surprised that it sounds like Malkovich is the lead.
John Malkovich is in negotiations to star opposite George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand in the Coen brothers' "Burn After Reading" for Focus Features and Working Title Films.
The dark screwball comedy centers on Ozzie Cox (Malkovich), a former CIA agent who loses the disc of the memoir he is writing. McDormand will play Cox's philandering wife. Clooney is set to play an assassin. Because the screenplay is being kept under wraps, it is unclear what Pitt's character will be.
Jeffrey Welles has read the script, and has the
lowdown on the story and Pitt's character.
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:36 pm
by Antoine Doinel
Here's a
look at Brad Pitt with a bloody nose.
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:49 pm
by miless
Is it true they're shooting this using the RED camera?
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:16 pm
by exte
miless wrote:Is it true they're shooting this using the RED camera?
If so, would that be the first high profile Hollywood film to do so? I can't wait to see the results if that's true, honest to God...
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:25 pm
by dadaistnun
I think Soderbergh is using it for his Che films, The Argentine and Guerrilla.
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:31 pm
by Jeff
exte wrote:miless wrote:Is it true they're shooting this using the RED camera?
If so, would that be the first high profile Hollywood film to do so? I can't wait to see the results if that's true, honest to God...
I suppose that depends on whether you consider Soderbergh's Che Guevara diptych "high-profile" or not. There aren't any Pitts or Clooneys any them.
Red keeps a list of the projects that are using their cameras, and for what it's worth, they haven't posted the Coen project yet. Their site could just be out of date of course.
The Coens did make a point of using Lubezki instead Deakins, and are
apparently going for a "handheld verite-style" style production, so the RED would make sense.
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:30 am
by Antoine Doinel
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:03 am
by Antoine Doinel
The film opens
wide September 12th.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:52 pm
by Antoine Doinel
From IMDB:
Italy Is Country For Coen Bros.
The Coen brothers' Burn After Reading has been selected to open this year's Venice Film Festival, festival organizers announced today (Monday). The selection would seem to assure the festival of some glittering stars walking its red carpet on opening night, August 27, since the movie's cast includes Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton -- not to mention Joel Coen and Ethan Coen themselves, whose film No Country for Old Men won the best picture award at this year's Oscars (and they took home the best director award). The festival's official lineup is expected to be announced in July.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:50 pm
by Murdoch
Antoine Doinel wrote:The film opens
wide September 12th.
Awesome, right on my birthday.
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:00 am
by Person
Clooney as a hitman should prove to be highly enjoyable.
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 8:40 pm
by Fletch F. Fletch
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 12:28 am
by Cosmic Bus
Red-band trailer:
standard //
HD
Looks thoroughly enjoyable.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 12:52 am
by Antoine Doinel
Great cast! Looks like a lot of fun.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:39 am
by Jeff
I'm sold. Here's hoping the "funny Coens" are back. It certainly doesn't look like anything Lubezki has ever shot before.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:43 am
by miless
but it does have a certain clarity that many of Lubezki's past films have. It probably has to do with his use of Kodak vision stock, which has an amazing look to it.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:44 am
by margot
It looks terrible.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:51 am
by domino harvey
That trailer wasn't at all what I was expecting, looks like the Coens in their Ladykillers mode.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:03 am
by AWA
Looks good. Having read the script in advance, it looks exactly as I pictured it, which is definitely a good sign. The script was great.
Has traces of Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and North by Northwest as well in the whole part of CIA watching events unravel but not doing anything about it to wait to see what happens. It is funny, I'm thinking that Malkovich will be hilarious based on the character he plays in the script - that looks to be captured perfectly. That shot of the gym at the beginning was amazing - nice colour stock.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:14 am
by Tom Hagen
Here's hoping this will be the Lebowski to No Country's Fargo.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:41 pm
by Fletch F. Fletch
This looks like it could be really good. I love the bit where Malkovich punched Pitt in the nose. Excellent comic timing. I sure hope it is closer to Lebowski than Ladykillers which was crap.