So, I lied. There is going to be 5 parts. I would be remiss if I left the next couple of movie off the list.
I have 2 honorable mentions: one of which would have absolutely been at the top of the prestige list if it didn't star Mel Gibson, but since it does, it is a huge risk, even with the fantastic buzz surrounding the script; and the other one is a tiny little indie that currently has no distributor, however it is screening at Sundance, so that could change.
Then, there are the time frame issues; 5 films that are sure to be great, but more than likely won't be ready for a 2011 opening. They are are either currently shooting or will be in the next few weeks, so it is not impossible that post will be finished in time for a release this year.
Honorable Mention
1. The Beaver
Who: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence and Anton Yelchin; directed by Jodie Foster
What: A depressed family man find solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet which he uses as his sole means of communicating.
Why: Before Mel Gibson’s racist-anti-Semitic-batshit-crazy breakdown, this film was one of the hottest scripts in Hollywood (top of the Black List in 2008) and a rumored Oscar contender.
When: April 8 (Instead of shelving the film for a bit until Gibson’s antics aren’t so fresh in the minds of the public, Summit Entertainment has decided to world premiere The Beaver at SXSW (on March 16) and let the film speak for itself, and hope that those who see the film send good buzz into the blogosphere.)
2. Like Crazy
Who: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley and Alex Kingston; directed by Drake Doremus
What: An American boy and a British girl fall in love in college, but are forced into a long distance relationship when she overstays her visa.
Why: It’s a bit of an unknown until it makes it debut appearance this weekend at Sundance, but with that cast it is absolutely the one I am most interested in and am expecting for it to sell for a nice chunk of change after its screening.
When: TBA (We should know more after this weekend.)
Time Frame Issues
1. Albert Nobbs
Who: Glenn Close, Aaron Johnson, Mia Wasikowska, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michael Gambon, and Janet McTeer; directed by Rodrigo Garcia
What: A woman in 19th Century Ireland disguises herself as a man in order to survive.
Why: With the directed-producer of the HBO tv series In Treatment behind this film and such a great cast this project definitely has the ingredients of something notable. Add to that a script co-written by Close and Man Booker-prize winning author John Manville based on the short story by Irish author George Moore, which was also turned into a play that won Close critical acclaim during its off-Broadway run.
When: TBA (shooting starts this spring)
2. J Edgar
Who: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench and Ed Westwick; directed by Clint Eastwood
What: Biopic on FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, focusing on his scandalous career and controversial private life as a homosexual and rumored cross dresser.
Why: Clint Eastwood. Dustin Lance Black (the guy behind the genius screenplay for Milk). Leonardo DiCaprio. That’s three easy reasons why right there.
When: TBA (shooting starts February 5th)
3. Love
Who: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva; directed by Michael Haneke
What: A married couple deals with the fallout after the wife suffers from a debilitating stroke.
Why: The script is rumored to be great and Haneke as a filmmaker is in a class of his own. It sounds like a difficult watch, but one that will be, hopefully, quite rewarding.
When: TBA (The film is scheduled to start a 40-day shoot in February, which could possibly mean a fall premiere at Venice or TIFF, or it may not be ready until 2012.)
4. Triple Frontier
Who: Tom Hanks is the only one signed on as of now and Johnny Deep is in talks; directed by Kathryn Bigelow
What: A political action thriller set in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
Why: It’s Kathryn Bigelow’s return to the big screen after her Oscar sweep and she is once again teeming with The Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal.
When: TBA (Shooting mid-March/April. Probably not enough time to make it through post and be ready to screen late 2011, a release in 2012 is more likely.)
5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Who: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and Thomas Horn; directed by Stephen Daldry
What: Oskar (Horn), a nine-year-old amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player and pacifist, searches New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key left by his father when he was killed in the September 11 attacks.
Why: This is as Oscar baity as they get: an adaptation by an A-list screenwriter (in this case, Forrest Gump writer Eric Roth), of a literary bestseller - the sophomore novel from Everything Is Illuminated writer Jonathan Safran Foer - plus it's got that cast. Extremely Loud is one of my all-time favorite books, so I can't wait to see this adaptation.
When: TBA (shooting just started, could very well be ready for a release this year, production still has a 2012 release date though.)
No comments:
Post a Comment