Well, the never resting Elston Gunn, scowers even on Christmas Day to give you the lowdown on the week that was. So without further ado, here we go...
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER VIA REUTERS
ELSTON NOTE: Here we go again with another uncategorized bulleted recap. Business was slow this week, but enough activity happened to warrant a quick recap I think. Merry Christmas to all. Sleep well and eat lots.
* RuPaul, Cathy Moriarty, Bud Cort and Mink Stole (PINK FLAMINGOS) join BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER with Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall.
* Kenneth Branagh will direct and star in THE BETTY SCHIMMEL STORY about love and the Holocaust.
* Connie Nielson (SOLDIER) will play the female lead in GLADIATOR.
* Vanessa Redgrave and Travis Fine (THE THIN RED LINE) join GIRL INTERRUPTED for director James Mangold (COPLAND).
* Vin Diesel (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) is in final negotiations to star opposite Giovanni Ribisi in THE BOILER ROOM.
* Film Four and Cowboy Films will work together to develop THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND based on the Giles Foden novel.
* Peter Gallagher (WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING) joins AMERICAN BEAUTY.
* The last Kurosawa pic, AME AGARU (AFTER THE RAIN), will be directed by Takashi Koizumi (Kurosawa's assistant director for many years). The team behind the film hope to premiere the pic on Sept. 6 at the Venice Intl. Film Festival--the first anniversary of Kurosawa's death. Shooting begins in the spring.
* MTV is developing a film based on its "Celebrity Deathmatch" claymation series. Creator Eric Fogel is working on the script and it is being described as ROCKY meets THE PLAYER--featuring behind-the-scenes Hollywood figures such as Mike Ovitz as claymation characters.
* Nickelodeon is in talks to develop its next animated film, to be based on JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS which has yet to air. The film is slated for summer 2000.
This should give you some things to think about over the holidays. Look at the campy cast of BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER. Intrigued? I am. *** GLADIATOR, GIRL INTERRUPTED, THE BOILER ROOM and AMERICAN BEAUTY just keep casting and casting. Cool. *** Kurosawa fans have a nice gift. A release date already?! Wow. They must be really getting on the ball with this film. *** So Branagh is directing a non-Shakespeare film, eh? It sounds interesting. *** I'm curious about JIMMY NEUTRON and ambivolent on CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH. Thoughts?
So that's it for the Christmas edition of the recap. Nothing really Christmas-esque about it, but it'll give you something new to read when you want to dodge relatives or fruitcake. Take time to think about the projects that are in development or have wrapped that you really are looking forward to. Personally, I'm looking forward to DADDY AND THEM. I was flipping through the tube the other day and found "The Andy Griffith Show" and ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS. I've also been listening to singer/songwriter John Prine. All three of these guys are going to be in DADDY AND THEM (written, directed and starring Billy Bob Thornton), as well as Laura Dern and Ben Affleck. I think country star Marty Stuart is taking care of the soundtrack and I love these kinds of small films. I can't wait to see/hear more about it. How about you? What are you looking forward to (besides EPISODE 1...I mean, who isn't?)
Well, that'll do I believe. Enjoy the rest of the holiday. I suppose I may see you New Year's Eve...then the big year will begin. I can't wait.
Thanks for the emails. Keep 'em comin'.
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
