Film Junk » Biopic

Tony Scott to Direct Chippendales Founder Biopic

Sean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:10:25 +0000

Hey remember the Chippendales? Back in the '80s, these buff bow-tie wearing hunks were plastered on the locker of every high school girl, and of course, they were parodied by Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze on Saturday Night Live. But did you ever stop to wonder what the real story was behind this famous group of male strippers? No? Me neither. But apparently there is actually a story to be told, and director Tony Scott feels he is the man to do it. Variety reports that Scott has signed on to direct a biopic about the rise and fall of Chippendales founder Steve Banerjee. He started out pumping gas but after the Chippendales idea took off he became a very rich man. Unfortunately he eventually got tied up in all kinds of criminal activities and ended up in jail, where he died before his trial. The article mentions that the tone could be similar to Tony Scott's True Romance, and I guess it would focus a lot on '80s excess. It's a strange and unexpected project, to be sure, and one that has been turned into a couple of made for TV movies before, but who knows... maybe there's a cool movie here after all?

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John Lennon Biopic Nowhere Boy Trailer

Sean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:16:16 +0000

A fresh wave of Beatlemania swept across the world last month with the release of Beatles Rock Band and the newly remastered Beatles catalogue, and the timing seems to have worked out quite nicely for Sam Taylor Wood's upcoming John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy. Although you might expect a Lennon biopic to be a massive Hollywood blockbuster with big name stars, this is a smaller British affair, using mostly unknown actors and (I believe) none of the Beatles' music. Because of this stripped down approach, and the fact that it focuses mainly on Lennon's childhood, Nowhere Boy seems like it has a good shot at avoiding many of the painful cliches of musical biopics. The trailer for Nowhere Boy claims to feature an "untold story", but it is based on a book by Lennon's half-sister, Julia Baird. The screenplay was written by Matt Greenhalgh, who also penned Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic Control, and it does have a bit of a similar feel. Star Aaron Johnson also has a role in the upcoming Kick-Ass comic book adaptation, and if this film is a success, I can only assume we'll be hearing a lot more from him. What do you think, will this be worth checking out? Nowhere Boy hits theatres in the U.K. on Christmas Day; check out the trailer embedded below.

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Steven Soderbergh’s Che: The Criterion Collection Finally Gets Release Date and Specs

Sean — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:13:31 +0000

It's been a long time coming, but Steven Soderbergh's two-part biopic about Argentine-Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara will finally get the full DVD and Blu-ray release that it deserves this coming January. Apparently they had hoped to have it ready for December, but Soderbergh needed extra time to reconstruct deleted scenes and prepare some of the supplementary material. In the words of Criterion president Peter Becker, the delay was "a trade we will always make, even if it means we don't get the benefit of sales in the holiday season, and we think that's the kind of decision our collectors would want us to make". Kudos to Criterion for that. The extras on this release will include the following:

High-definition digital transfers of Che: Part One and Che: Part Two, supervised and approved by director Steven Soderbergh, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
Audio commentaries on both films, featuring Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
Making “Che,” a new documentary about the film’s production, featuring interviews with Soderbergh, producer Laura Bickford, actor-producer Benicio del Toro, and writers Peter Buchman and Ben van der Veen
New interviews with Cuban historians as well as participants in the 1958 Cuban Revolution and Che’s 1967 Bolivian campaign
Deleted scenes
Theatrical trailers
A booklet featuring an essay by critic Amy Taubin
And more!

Strangely, Che: Part One and Part Two will appear in two different aspect ratios... not sure what that's all about. Either way, I've been avoiding the barebones editions of both parts for a while now, waiting for the complete package to become available to ensure an optimal viewing experience. Che: The Criterion Collection hits stores on January 19th, 2010, at a suggested retail price of $49.95 for both the 3-disc standard DVD and the 2-disc Blu-ray. Will you be picking this up?

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Moses Goes Hollywood

Kasper — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:46:51 +0000

It's time to pray and kick ass - biblical style. That's right, The Bible is totally selling out. First Jesus went all Hollywood, combining forces with Mel Gibson to make The Passion of The Christ and now Moses is trying to one-up him with his newest project: His life, 300-style. That's right, Moses is going full-out action. Fox has bought a pitch for a script about the life of Moses, starting with him almost dying as a baby, continuing on with his adoption into the Egyptian royal family followed by him totally dissing the Pharoah and finally the face off and freedom of the Hebrews. You know, same old... But wait! It's not just the same old thing, with the plagues on Egypt and parting of the Red Sea and what not, there's more. The script will also take pointers from various scriptures and other historical documents made about Moses which wasn't in The Bible. So the story will be the one we know, but not. All will be done 300-/Sin City-style, with the movie shooting green screen and having that same feel as well. The script will be penned by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage, who has recently turned in their draft of the re-invention of the Moby Dick tale (the flick which is supposed to be directed by Wanted-director Timur Bekmambetov). Cooper and Collage have also previously written the comedy Accepted. All in all, I think this sounds kind of weird, but it has the potential of either being totally awesome or a complete failure. What do you think? Does the story of Moses need another retelling? Shout off in the comments below.

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Marlon Wayans to Star in Richard Pryor Biopic

Sean — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:16:08 +0000

Earlier this year we heard rumours that Dreamgirls director Bill Condon was in the process of shopping around a Richard Pryor biopic, and that Eddie Murphy was loosely attached to star. At the time, a lot of people had doubts about seeing Murphy in the role, but I have a feeling there will be even more doubters now that Condon has decided to set the movie up with a different, slightly less expensive actor: Marlon Wayans. Variety reports that Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison are currently finalizing a deal for Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? with Marlon Wayans in the lead role and the budget coming in under $20 million. Both Adam Sandler and Chris Rock are on board as producers, and word on the street is that Sandler may even make a cameo in the film as Richard Pryor's first manager, Sandy Gallin. Clearly Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking comedian with a compelling life story, and both Sandler and Rock are doing all they can to make this movie happen. But is Marlon Wayans the right guy to star? Despite his involvement in such movies as Little Man, White Chicks, and yes, even Dungeons & Dragons, let's not forget that he did have decent performances in Requiem for a Dream and The Ladykillers. What do you think, can you see Marlon Wayans as Richard Pryor or has this project just taken a turn for the worst?

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Fox Searchlight Developing a Ramones Biopic

Sean — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:21:25 +0000

It's been 8 years now since Joey Ramone passed away, and 5 years since Johnny Ramone died, so I suppose it's about time someone got around to making a Ramones biopic... right? Well according to the Risky Biz Blog, Fox Searchlight is doing exactly that. The indie imprint is currently in negotiations with producer Rory Rosegarten, who owns the big screen rights to the upcoming book I Slept with Joey Ramone, written by Joey's brother Mickey Leigh. Rosegarten also managed to get the rights to use the music of The Ramones, which is pretty key. Fox Searchlight sounds like an ideal place for a project like this to develop as they have always been willing to take chances and have a great way of understanding and marketing to subcultures. However, I'm not so sure about this Rory Rosegarten fellow; he was an executive producer on Everybody Loves Raymond. At any rate, The Ramones have a great rags-to-riches story, and they certainly changed music in a lot of ways, but there's potential here for the movie to have a sense of humour as well. With the right people involved, I think a Ramones biopic could be awesome. What do you think? Who would you like to see star in this (other than Vinnie Chase)?

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Confucius Trailer Starring Chow Yun-Fat

Sean — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:02:06 +0000

Chow Yun-Fat may be known for his Hong Kong action movies and martial arts skills, but much like his peers Jackie Chan and Jet Li, he has been seizing the opportunity for more dramatic roles as he gets older. And really, you can't get much farther from the action hero stereotypes than to play the Chinese philosopher Confucius in his very own biopic. This movie, titled simply Confucius, is directed by Mei Hu (Times Away from War), and reportedly has a budget somewhere in the range of $20 million -- not much by Hollywood standards, but pretty expensive for a Chinese production. The first trailer has arrived online, and it features no dialogue, choosing instead to showcase three minutes of beautiful imagery set to an epic score. Unfortunately, for those of us unfamiliar with the life of Confucius, it's still not clear what exactly is going on here. I guess there's a love story and some sort of political struggle, but where does the invention of the fortune cookie come into play??? According to the trailer, Confucius will be released in the spring of 2010. Have a look after the jump and see what you think.

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Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake to Star in David Fincher’s Facebook Movie?

Sean — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:17:35 +0000

Ever since it was announced a few months back that David Fincher would be directing The Social Network, the much maligned biopic about the making of Facebook, my interest in the project has been steadily growing. Add to this the fact that the script, which was written by Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson's War, The West Wing), has been getting rave reviews from insiders around the web, and it's looking like this could actually be something much more than a mere attempt to cash in on a brand name. The next step, of course, is the casting, and this week there is some pretty intriguing news to report on that front. I should stress that these are just rumours, although the source seems relatively reliable. According to Carson Reeves (aka ScriptShadow, one of the first people to get a hold of The Social Network script), there are three actors that are reportedly finalizing deals for the film. The first, and perhaps most interesting, is Justin Timberlake who will play Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster and an early investor in Facebook. Andrew Garfield (Boy A) has been tipped to play Eduardo Saverin, while Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland) is supposedly a lock for Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. I know Eisenberg was being suggested by some folks on the web simply based on looks alone, but I also think he would be perfect to capture Zuckerberg's socially awkward persona. Let me just say that if this does turn out to be true, I am pretty much sold. An amazing director, a brilliant script, and now some solid casting? It sounds too good to be true. What do you think about these potential casting choices? In the meantime, check out the book that the movie was partially based on called Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook.

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Best Rumour Ever: Robin Williams to Play Britain’s Got Talent Star Susan Boyle?

Sean — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:28:48 +0000

Could it be... a Robin Williams movie I might actually be looking forward to? Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair since I've heard a lot of good things about World's Greatest Dad, but let's face it, the man hasn't had many particularly memorable performances over the past few years. The good news is, he's about to make a comeback! According to the ever reliable New York Post, it seems that Williams is being courted to play Susan Boyle in an upcoming movie about her life. Now that's brilliant casting! Boyle, for those who don't know, is the 48 year old Scottish spinster who became an overnight sensation after showing off her singing voice on Britain's Got Talent. The day after her final performance on the show (which earned record ratings), she checked into a psychiatric clinic in London. I have to admit, I haven't really followed the whole story and I'd be interested in seeing a movie about her. Of course, whether or not Robin Williams would actually do the role in drag a la Mrs. Doubtfire seems pretty preposterous, if not downright insulting. We all know they'll probably just get some gorgeous actress to play her and then "ugly her up" leading to an Oscar win for such a brave performance. Do you think there's any truth to this rumour? Would you watch a Susan Boyle biopic? Check out the video of her original TV appearance after the jump.

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Creation Trailer Starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly

Sean — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:08:48 +0000

While a biopic about Charles Darwin is probably not destined to be the most riveting thing ever committed to celluloid, it seems inevitable that it will spark at least a little bit of controversy. The man's research forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory, and is still contested by many religious groups (although not so much by scientists). That said, it's a bit strange how bland and unassuming the trailer for Creation actually is. Starring Paul Bettany as Darwin and Jennifer Connelly as Darwin's wife Emma, the movie supposedly explores the Darwin's struggle over his own theories and the fact that they conflict with his wife's religious views. It almost seems like the movie will try to explain how both points of view can co-exist (further supported by the accompanying logo for Mel Gibson's distribution company Icon Films). Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but I think there will definitely be a tendency for people to question the motives behind this project. Based on the book Annie's Box: Charles Darwin, his Daughter, and Human Evolution by Randal Keynes, it's seems a bit out of place for director Jon Amiel (best known for his Hollywood flicks The Core and Entrapment). Does this seem worthwhile to you? Check out the trailer below and see what you think.

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David Fincher to Direct Facebook: The Movie?

Sean — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:35 +0000

Well I don't think anyone was expecting this announcement. After the plethora of upcoming David Fincher projects we've been anticipating (The Goon, Heavy Metal, Chef, Black Hole, and Torso), it appears that his follow-up to the Academy Award-nominated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could actually be... Facebook: The Movie. That's right, The Hollywood Reporter says that Fincher is in talks to direct The Social Network, the pseudo-biopic that was first announced last year. Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, A Few Good Men) is writing the script, which will supposedly focus on the founders of the popular social networking website and how it took off. Back when this project was first announced, I mentioned that I was actually interested and looking forward to it. I enjoy stories about young entrepreneurs who stumble on something big, but that said, this definitely seems like a project that is well below Fincher's talents. To be honest, I'm not even sure why he would be interested in such a thing. Perhaps, after trying to do an Oscar-calibre film and being snubbed, he has decided to just do a complete 180 and go for the quick cash grab instead. On the other hand, with Aaron Sorkin writing the script, it seems like they are trying to turn this into something more than a cash grab. What do you think... is a David Fincher Facebook movie something you want to see?

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Columbia Picks Up the Rights to Somali Pirate Movie

Sean — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:07:02 +0000

It's about time we got a real-life pirate movie! None of this Johnny Depp wanna-be crap...

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