...and the general (if limited) consensus is rather positive, though neither are raves. The Playlist and Guy Lodge have been the first on the scene with their takes. You can find the former here and the latter here, though it might also be wise to wait until a few more people have seen it. That shouldn't be long, considering the festival season is officially underway, but do what you think is best.
It's not nearly as good as the first one that debuted, but I still like it...thoughts?
Via The Playlist:
So it seems, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
Indeed, according to The Playlist:With his latest starring vehicle “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” earning unexpected critical acclaim and box office gold, James Franco doesn’t look like stopping any time soon. With his in-the-can directorial effort “Sal” confirmed for the Venice Film Festival, the actor-director’s biopic on poet Hart Crane is now set to appear soon after at the Toronto Film Festival with Focus Features already reportedly acquiring rights to the pic as well.
An adaptation of Paul L Mariani‘s biography, “The Broken Tower,” the film actually premiered at the recent L.A. Film Festival to lukewarm reviews; THR’s Todd McCarthy, for instance, simply noted that the film “may serve better as his thesis film than as a commercial release.” We guess Focus Features sees some commercial potential in it, possibly in it’s cast which stars Franco alongside his mother Betsy (who unveiled Focus’ acquisition through her twitter), his brother Dave as well as semi-regular collaborator Michael Shannon.
In addition to “Sal” and “The Broken Tower,” Franco is also apparently bringing two of his artier efforts, both of whom relate to Gus Van Sant‘s “My Own Private Idaho,” to the fall festival season. Both are evidently joining his trip to Toronto with the first being “My Own Private River,” described as a film that “focuses on River Phoenix‘s work in the film [that] will be accompanied by a score from Michael Stipe,” and the second film noted as an hour length feature that “Franco shot on 8mm, based on van Sants ‘very early’ draft” for the aforementioned film.
Franco also has a return to “General Hospital” in the works but what’s up feature film wise? Possibly his adaptation of William Faulkner‘s “As I Lay Dying” which earlier this year was linked to a plethora of stars including Shannon again, Richard Jenkins, Joaquin Phoenix and Paul Dano(who was actually asked by Franco to take the lead role in his Hart Crane biopic but declined). A summer shoot in 2011 was mentioned once for the film but things have obviously changed since then.
The Playlist has the story:With that in mind, Variety reports that Ben Affleck has cast himself in the lead of his next directorial effort, “Argo.” The film is based on the true story about a C.I.A. plan to rescue a group of diplomats from Tehran after the 1979 Iranian revolution by claiming that they were part of a Hollywood movie crew shooting a film in the country. Alan Arkin is on board to play Lester Siegel, a former O.S.S. spy, now a movie producer, described as “equal parts bookie and rabbi,” who helps get the fake movie rolling, with John Goodman playing the Oscar-winning “Planet of the Apes” makeup artist John Chambers who is brought in on the elaborate scheme. As for Affleck, he’ll take the central role of Tony Mendez, the CIA exfiltration expert who gets the whole scheme up and running.
Affleck previously directed himself in the heist pic “The Town” and seems to listen very well to his own instructions. Still no start date just yet, but it looks like it will be imminent with casting continuing to move along steadily. Though the film will be lighter in tone than “The Town” or “Gone Baby Gone”—the fake movie stuff should be pretty amusing—it will also have a strong dose of realism too, as Affleck plans to have the actors who will play hostages live together in a “safe house” for two weeks prior to the start of filming so they can become acquainted with what their real life counterparts went through. No release date yet, but an Oscar season 2012 bow seems inevitable.
-Joey's Two Cents: I think he directed himself incredibly well in The Town, so I'm anxious to see him do it again...thoughts?
Via Variety:Fest hasn't made an official announcement but a source not authorized to speak for the event confirmed the selection Monday.
Sony's dated the political thriller for an Oct. 7 limited release. Clooney directed from a script he co-wrote with Grant Heslov. He also stars in the film, which is based on the Broadway play "Farragut North," written by Beau Willmon.
Pic centers on a young press spokesman, played by Ryan Gosling, who falls prey to backroom politics. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood are also starring.
Sony nabbed U.S. distribution rights to "March" in November, with Exclusive Media Group handling overseas distribution.
Venice competition berths have been set previoulsy for Roman Polanski's "Carnage," David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method," Russian auteur Aleksandr Sokurov's "Faust," the fourth and final installment in his "Men of Power" series, and Philippe Garrel's "Un ete brulant" (A Burning Hot Summer).
-Joey's Two Cents: It's shaping up to be a real good fest...thoughts?
The Hollywood Reporter says yes:Warren Beatty, who hasn’t directed a film since 1998’s Bulworth, has pacted with Paramount Pictures to write, direct, produce and star in an untitled project based on his original screenplay.
The project will mark a return to Paramount for Beatty, who directed 1978’s Heaven Can Wait and 1981’s Reds for the studio.
“Warren’s script is quintessential Beatty, elegantly written and wonderfully entertaining,” said Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey, who announced the project Monday. “It is our privilege to have one of the great artists in the history of the film industry come home to Paramount.”
The film is scheduled to go into production later this year.
...and it's his first remake. Here's what Deadline has to say:Warner Bros and Universal Pictures have optioned rights to turn Coben’s thriller Tell No One. Ben Affleck is attached to direct and the script will be written by Chris Terrio. Terrio scripted Argo, the film Affleck is preparing to direct next for Warner Bros. Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will be the producers. The studios will co-develop the picture, with Warner Bros releasing domestically and Universal Pictures International launching it overseas. The deal involves Luc Besson’s Europacorp and that’s where the French connection comes in. The new project is basically a remake of the French film adaptation of Coben’s book, which was directed by Guillaume Canet.
...and here's the story, via Variety:Arkin is in negotiations to play Hollywood producer Lester Siegel, an O.S.S. veteran described as equal parts bookie and rabbi.
Chris Terrio adapted Joshuah Bearman's April 2007 Wired magazine article, titled "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue American from Tehran," which told how the CIA and the Canadian government teamed to rescue six U.S. dipomats who'd been taken hostage at the American embassy by a group of Iranians in 1979. The CIA's ruse involved the explanation that the six hostages were actually a Hollywood film crew scouting a movie titled "Argo," and using those fake identities, they were able to flee the country.
George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing Warner Bros.' political drama through their Smoke House banner along with David Klawans ("Nacho Libre").
Arkin will soon be seen playing Ryan Reynolds' father in Universal's comedy "The Change-Up," and he also appears in Disney's "The Muppets."
...according to Collider:Never one to be outdone by his Good Will Hunting buddy Ben Affleck, Matt Damon will soon follow that old actor’s cliché and admit that all he ever really wanted to do was direct. Damon has been considering stepping into a director’s chair for a while now, initially planning to cut his teeth on the long discussed baseball wife-swap movie The Trade, which also would have featured himself and Affleck in the lead roles. However, that movie is now on hold due to undetermined legal troubles and Damon plans to move on to Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses. The wheels are already in motion on the project, with a rough start date in place for next year with John Krasinski attached to star. Hit the jump for further details on Damon’s directorial debut.
...according to Deadline, at least:
Apparently so, according to Deadline:
...according to Deadline:This has been a spec auction with some big twists and turns, because one of the bids that rivaled the one from Warner Bros was made by Damon and Moore, with money from a private financier. Other bids came in from Paramount (with JJ Abrams attached to produce), Fox (for Peter Chernin), Mandate, Walter Parkes through his discretionary fund, with Relativity Media and others also in the mix.
The script focuses on a man who goes on the lam with his daughter, his accomplice on a three-state crime spree.
Perhaps, according to Deadline:
So it seems, according to Variety:Project is being developed as a potential directing vehicle for Clooney. Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban's 2929 Entertainment optioned the rights to Laura Blumenfeld's article about TARP mastermind Neel Kashkari for Clooney and Heslov's Smoke House banner.
Kashkari, a top official under then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, helped develop the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, which bailed out the big banks following the economic collapse in 2008. Kashkari subsequently left Washington and moved to an isolated cabin in Northern California.
Zach Helm ("Stranger Than Fiction") has been tapped to write the pic. Clooney will produce with Heslov and Double Feature Films partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher.
...and here's the story from Variety:Project, based on Anne Meredith's script, is being developed as a contemporary "Big Chill" with longtime friends reconnecting.
Finerman and Natalie Marciano will produce and Wendy Finerman Prods. exec Lisa Zupan will executive produce. Finerman told Variety that she plans to begin shooting in September in New York state.
"I'm often drawn to pictures that make you laugh and cry," she said. "I think this is the perfect project for Meg to bring to life. She's poignant and funny and heartfelt."
Finerman said she's planning to start casting soon but has no plans to include Ryan in the cast.
Finerman's producing credits include "Forrest Gump," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Drumline" and "P.S. I Love You."
