From Distant Voices, Still Lives to Benediction, the lyrical work of the late director was suffused with the ‘ecstasy’ of cinema – and his fraught Liverpool childhood
Last month, British cinema lost one of its greatest and most distinctive screen poets. From an astonishing trilogy of early short films (Children; Madonna and Child; Death and Transfiguration – all available on BFI Player) to his final feature, Benediction (2021), Terence Davies seamlessly blended personal recollections with wider universal truths. His subjects ranged from autobiographically inspired portraits of postwar working-class life in Liverpool to sweeping literary adaptations and intimate portraits of real-life authors, most remarkably the American poet Emily Dickinson, brilliantly played by Cynthia Nixon in A Quiet Passion, 2016. Yet each of his films felt deeply, distinctly personal. No wonder Jack Lowden, who played Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction, told me that after immersing himself in his subject’s diaries in preparation for the role, he...
Last month, British cinema lost one of its greatest and most distinctive screen poets. From an astonishing trilogy of early short films (Children; Madonna and Child; Death and Transfiguration – all available on BFI Player) to his final feature, Benediction (2021), Terence Davies seamlessly blended personal recollections with wider universal truths. His subjects ranged from autobiographically inspired portraits of postwar working-class life in Liverpool to sweeping literary adaptations and intimate portraits of real-life authors, most remarkably the American poet Emily Dickinson, brilliantly played by Cynthia Nixon in A Quiet Passion, 2016. Yet each of his films felt deeply, distinctly personal. No wonder Jack Lowden, who played Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction, told me that after immersing himself in his subject’s diaries in preparation for the role, he...
- 11/4/2023
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Terence Davies, the critically beloved British writer-director who had his international art-house breakthrough with two deeply autobiographical films set in his native Liverpool, England, Distant Voices, Still Lives and The Long Day Closes, has died. He was 77.
Davies’ official Instagram account confirmed the news Saturday morning, noting that the filmmaker died peacefully at home after a short illness.
Much of Davies’ work is infused with personal emotional experience, reflecting in subtle ways on growing up as a gay, Catholic man in Liverpool in the 1950s and ’60s. The filmmaker directly addressed his childhood in his 2008 feature documentary, Of Time and the City.
Premiering to great acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival that year, the doc recalled both Davies’ own family life and that of the city, using archival footage, his own commentary voiceover, classical music tracks, film clips and excerpts from poetry and literature in an assemblage by turns caustically funny and melancholy,...
Davies’ official Instagram account confirmed the news Saturday morning, noting that the filmmaker died peacefully at home after a short illness.
Much of Davies’ work is infused with personal emotional experience, reflecting in subtle ways on growing up as a gay, Catholic man in Liverpool in the 1950s and ’60s. The filmmaker directly addressed his childhood in his 2008 feature documentary, Of Time and the City.
Premiering to great acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival that year, the doc recalled both Davies’ own family life and that of the city, using archival footage, his own commentary voiceover, classical music tracks, film clips and excerpts from poetry and literature in an assemblage by turns caustically funny and melancholy,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Terence Davies, the British filmmaker known for “Distant Voices, Still Lives,” “The Deep Blue Sea” and “The Long Day Closes,” has died. He was 77.
The news of Davies’ death was shared on his official Instagram page: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Terence Davies, who died peacefully at home after a short illness, today on 7th October 2023.”
Davies was admired for his period films as well as his early autobiographical trilogy about growing up in Liverpool.
“Being in the past makes me feel safe because I understand that world,” he told the Guardian in 2022.
Though his films were widely recognized for their sensitive depictions of gay life, Catholicism and other frequent themes, they didn’t amass a huge number of awards, which he considered in his typically philosophical way. “It would have been nice to be acknowledged by Bafta. Again, there’s also part of...
The news of Davies’ death was shared on his official Instagram page: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Terence Davies, who died peacefully at home after a short illness, today on 7th October 2023.”
Davies was admired for his period films as well as his early autobiographical trilogy about growing up in Liverpool.
“Being in the past makes me feel safe because I understand that world,” he told the Guardian in 2022.
Though his films were widely recognized for their sensitive depictions of gay life, Catholicism and other frequent themes, they didn’t amass a huge number of awards, which he considered in his typically philosophical way. “It would have been nice to be acknowledged by Bafta. Again, there’s also part of...
- 10/7/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Terence Davies, the Liverpool-born director of autobiographical memory pieces like “The Long Day Closes” and “Distant Voices, Still Lives,” has died. He was 77. The English filmmaker passed away peacefully in his home after a short illness on October 7, as confirmed on his official social media pages.
Davies directed several masterpieces in his lifetime, from the sorrowful “The Deep Blue Sea” starring Rachel Weisz as an eternally unhappy seeker of love to his debut feature “Distant Voices,” built on his own closeted working-class British upbringing. You could even say the same about his last film, “Benediction,” starring Jack Lowden as the queer poet Siegfried Sassoon, wrapped around by a coterie of Bright Young Things. He received great acclaim for films like “A Quiet Passion,” starring Cynthia Nixon as the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, as well as the Edith Wharton adaptation “House of Mirth,” led by Gillian Anderson. Serious actors loved working with him,...
Davies directed several masterpieces in his lifetime, from the sorrowful “The Deep Blue Sea” starring Rachel Weisz as an eternally unhappy seeker of love to his debut feature “Distant Voices,” built on his own closeted working-class British upbringing. You could even say the same about his last film, “Benediction,” starring Jack Lowden as the queer poet Siegfried Sassoon, wrapped around by a coterie of Bright Young Things. He received great acclaim for films like “A Quiet Passion,” starring Cynthia Nixon as the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, as well as the Edith Wharton adaptation “House of Mirth,” led by Gillian Anderson. Serious actors loved working with him,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
It’s not as if New Orleans necessarily needs to gift the world any more culture than it already has. But the birthplace of jazz music, Gullah cuisine and writers ranging from Anne Rice to John Kennedy Toole is quickly becoming—in addition to its many other virtues—something of an indie film hotspot. From platforming local creators to providing a can’t-miss stop along the international auteur circuit, Nola’s film festival scene is in the middle of an epic flex.
Chief among these, the city’s namesake New Orleans Film Festival has been bringing the best independent cinema to the ochre shores of the Mississippi River since 1989. This week, Film Independent’s Festival Visions series—our ongoing spotlight of the best programming picks from regional and specialty festivals nationwide—continues, with an online showing of the Lgbtqia+ short documentary House of Tulip, screening online and for free, July...
Chief among these, the city’s namesake New Orleans Film Festival has been bringing the best independent cinema to the ochre shores of the Mississippi River since 1989. This week, Film Independent’s Festival Visions series—our ongoing spotlight of the best programming picks from regional and specialty festivals nationwide—continues, with an online showing of the Lgbtqia+ short documentary House of Tulip, screening online and for free, July...
- 7/25/2023
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
Robert Gottlieb, the legendary editor at Simon & Schuster, Alfred A. Knopf and The New Yorker who helped shape the work of many of the world’s greatest writers over the past six decades, has died, according to Knopf and The New Yorker. He was 92.
A partial list of the literary talents whose work Gottlieb edited includes Nobel laureates such as Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and V.S. Naipaul; bestselling novelists such as John le Carré, Michael Crichton and Ray Bradbury; Hollywood types such as Elia Kazan, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Nora Ephron and Lauren Bacall; Pulitzer Prize-winners such as John Cheever, Katharine Graham and Robert Caro; and even a president, Bill Clinton.
Gottlieb was featured in the documentary Turn Every Page, directed by his daughter Lizzie, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Festival and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. The film focuses on Gottlieb and Caro as...
A partial list of the literary talents whose work Gottlieb edited includes Nobel laureates such as Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and V.S. Naipaul; bestselling novelists such as John le Carré, Michael Crichton and Ray Bradbury; Hollywood types such as Elia Kazan, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Nora Ephron and Lauren Bacall; Pulitzer Prize-winners such as John Cheever, Katharine Graham and Robert Caro; and even a president, Bill Clinton.
Gottlieb was featured in the documentary Turn Every Page, directed by his daughter Lizzie, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Festival and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. The film focuses on Gottlieb and Caro as...
- 6/14/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The career of Adam Sandler has been frequently surprising. On "Saturday Night Live" in 1990, Sandler gained a reputation for playing a puckish, rude, doofus. It was a squeaky, occasionally explosive stage persona the actor would carry over into some of his mid-'90s comedy vehicles like "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore," and would go on to serve as the foundation of his production company. Any number of Sandler's comedy films are crass, prurient, and often venerate the bad behavior of their leads. Also, as a curious motif, Sandler's comedies often employ American pop culture iconography of the 1980s.
But then Sandler will occasionally startle audiences by proving himself as something beyond his usual "dip" persona. In "The Wedding Singer," Sandler emerged as a convincing romantic lead opposite Drew Barrymore. In "Punch-Drunk Love," director Paul Thomas Anderson tapped into Sandler's ever-present rage but balanced it with a truly disarming love story.
But then Sandler will occasionally startle audiences by proving himself as something beyond his usual "dip" persona. In "The Wedding Singer," Sandler emerged as a convincing romantic lead opposite Drew Barrymore. In "Punch-Drunk Love," director Paul Thomas Anderson tapped into Sandler's ever-present rage but balanced it with a truly disarming love story.
- 2/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
AnnaSophia Robb has joined Kathy Bates, John Malkovich, Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Root and Lewis Pullman in the cast of “Thelma.” The Exchange is selling the film at Berlin’s European Film Market.
Robb starred in Hulu’s Emmy-winning series “The Act,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO Max’s “The Carrie Diaries,” and is toplining Netflix’s upcoming “Rebel Ridge.”
“Thelma” tells the true story of the 11-year battle by the mother of John Kennedy Toole, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” to get his novel published after his suicide.
“Thelma” was written by Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte, and is to be directed by Ken Kwapis, who was Emmy-nominated for “The Office” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Kwapis’ film credits include “A Walk in the Woods” with Robert Redford, “He’s Just Not That into You” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Robb starred in Hulu’s Emmy-winning series “The Act,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO Max’s “The Carrie Diaries,” and is toplining Netflix’s upcoming “Rebel Ridge.”
“Thelma” tells the true story of the 11-year battle by the mother of John Kennedy Toole, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” to get his novel published after his suicide.
“Thelma” was written by Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte, and is to be directed by Ken Kwapis, who was Emmy-nominated for “The Office” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Kwapis’ film credits include “A Walk in the Woods” with Robert Redford, “He’s Just Not That into You” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
- 2/18/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Stephen Root (Barry) and Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry) have signed on to star alongside Oscar and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich and Lewis Pullman in Thelma, an upcoming indie to be directed by two-time Emmy nominee Ken Kwapis. The Exchange will be introducing the title to international buyers at the 2022 Cannes Film Market, with ICM Partners and UTA Independent Film Group handling domestic.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It...
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It...
- 5/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Kathy Bates and John Malkovich are to lead the cast of feature ‘Thelma’, directed by Ken Kwapis (#BlackAF, The Office).
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lewis Pullman has also joined the cast.
The film will tell the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Also in news – First look images drop for season 2 of ‘Bridgerton’
Scribe Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay. Steven P. Wegner and Filmula’s Johnny Lin are producing the feature.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lewis Pullman has also joined the cast.
The film will tell the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Also in news – First look images drop for season 2 of ‘Bridgerton’
Scribe Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay. Steven P. Wegner and Filmula’s Johnny Lin are producing the feature.
- 1/21/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: Oscar and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich and Lewis Pullman have signed on to star in Thelma, an indie directed by two-time Emmy nom Ken Kwapis.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay.
- 1/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel are set to star in Fox’s straight-to-series country music dynasty drama Monarch, produced by Fox Entertainment.
Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. The Romans are headed by the insanely talented, but tough as nails Queen of Country Music Dottie Cantrell Roman (Sarandon). Along with her beloved husband, Albie, Dottie has created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown Nicolette “Nicky” Roman (Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.
Hilfers will write and exec produce, while Instinct creator and Royal Pains exec producer Michael Rauch,...
Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. The Romans are headed by the insanely talented, but tough as nails Queen of Country Music Dottie Cantrell Roman (Sarandon). Along with her beloved husband, Albie, Dottie has created a country music dynasty. But even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown Nicolette “Nicky” Roman (Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.
Hilfers will write and exec produce, while Instinct creator and Royal Pains exec producer Michael Rauch,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
On March 26 1969, on a quiet country road outside Biloxi, Mississippi, John Kennedy Toole took his own life. Aged just 31, the literary professor and author left behind two unpublished novels. Over the course of the next decade, Toole’s grieving mother Thelma dedicated her life to ensuring the second of these, “A Confederacy Of Dunces,” found publication. Eventually, she succeeded, and the New Orleans-set picaresque tale of slovenly philosopher and medievalist Ignatius J. Reilly went on to sell over two million copies and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1981, making Toole one of only three writers to win the prize posthumously.
Almost as much as the book itself, readers were intrigued by the unique journey the novel took to publication, with a flamboyant yet grief-stricken mother dedicating what remained of her life to ensuring her son’s genius was recognized by the world.
Inevitably, with such a successful novel and such a compelling lead character,...
Almost as much as the book itself, readers were intrigued by the unique journey the novel took to publication, with a flamboyant yet grief-stricken mother dedicating what remained of her life to ensuring her son’s genius was recognized by the world.
Inevitably, with such a successful novel and such a compelling lead character,...
- 3/25/2021
- by Nathan O'Hagan
- The Wrap
It’s always difficult to bid farewell to a beloved television ensemble, but especially so for the cast of The CW’s The 100. Many viewers have literally grown up alongside these characters, who started as juvenile delinquents and ended as adults who had lived several lifetimes. Even for older viewers, the characters and the actors behind them have become much beloved.
In this case, we can happily say until we meet again, as many cast members have already lined up new projects. Some are jumping immediately into new TV series, while others are exploring film franchises. At least one actor who got the chance to try her hand at directing on The 100 is honing that craft in future projects.
Read on for the next steps for all of your favorites.
Eliza Taylor (Clarke Griffin)
Eliza Taylor has not yet announced her next project but is currently continuing her...
In this case, we can happily say until we meet again, as many cast members have already lined up new projects. Some are jumping immediately into new TV series, while others are exploring film franchises. At least one actor who got the chance to try her hand at directing on The 100 is honing that craft in future projects.
Read on for the next steps for all of your favorites.
Eliza Taylor (Clarke Griffin)
Eliza Taylor has not yet announced her next project but is currently continuing her...
- 10/1/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Diane Kruger is one of the six names in entertainment being celebrated at the inaugural IndieWire Honors on Nov. 2. Her leading role in Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” won her best actress at the Cannes Film Festival.
There is a scene in “In the Fade” when Diane Kruger, playing a woman whose husband and son are killed in a suicide bombing, completely melts down. She doesn’t remember it. “It was such an out-of-body experience,” said Kruger, who won best actress at Cannes for role in the German-language production. “There are scenes in the movie where I feel like I’m not acting; I’m reacting to what’s happening in front of me. I was desperately searching for the truth.”
Kruger spent six months preparing for the role, meeting with nearly 30 relatives of murder victims to get inside the headspace, and the trauma stayed with her months after shooting was completed.
There is a scene in “In the Fade” when Diane Kruger, playing a woman whose husband and son are killed in a suicide bombing, completely melts down. She doesn’t remember it. “It was such an out-of-body experience,” said Kruger, who won best actress at Cannes for role in the German-language production. “There are scenes in the movie where I feel like I’m not acting; I’m reacting to what’s happening in front of me. I was desperately searching for the truth.”
Kruger spent six months preparing for the role, meeting with nearly 30 relatives of murder victims to get inside the headspace, and the trauma stayed with her months after shooting was completed.
- 10/30/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Exclusive: While years of attempts to adapt his seminal novel A Confederacy of Dunces have so far proven futile, a drama about John Kennedy Toole and the fascinating story behind his book is coming together as a film. Susan Sarandon, Thomas Mann and Diane Kruger are attached to Butterfly in the Typewriter, a biopic about Toole’s brief but extraordinary life. David DuBos will direct his scripted adaptation of the Cory MacLauchlin book. Oley Sassone is producing. The…...
- 2/8/2017
- Deadline
Displaying a transparency that few filmmakers of his fame and / or caliber would even bother with, Steven Soderbergh has, for a couple of years, been keen on releasing lists of what he watched and read during the previous twelve months. If you’re at all interested in this sort of thing — and why not? what else are you even doing with your day? — the 2015 selection should be of strong interest, this being a time when he was fully enmeshed in the world of creating television.
He’s clearly observing the medium with a close eye, be it what’s on air or what his friends (specifically David Fincher and his stillborn projects) show him, and how that might relate to his apparent love of 48 Hours Mystery or approach to a comparatively light slate of cinematic assignments — specifically: it seems odd that the last time he watched Magic Mike Xxl, a...
He’s clearly observing the medium with a close eye, be it what’s on air or what his friends (specifically David Fincher and his stillborn projects) show him, and how that might relate to his apparent love of 48 Hours Mystery or approach to a comparatively light slate of cinematic assignments — specifically: it seems odd that the last time he watched Magic Mike Xxl, a...
- 1/6/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Huntington Theatre Company, the 2013 recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award and Boston magazine's Best Theatre of 2013 and 2014, presents the world premiere production of A Confederacy Of Dunces, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Kennedy Toole, directed by David Esbjornson Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and All My Sons and featuring Nick Offerman of NBC's 'Parks and Recreation.' Performances will run tonight, November 11, throughDecember 13, 2015 at the Huntington's mainstage, the Bu Theatre.
- 11/11/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The Huntington Theatre Company presents the world premiere production of A Confederacy of Dunces, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Kennedy Toole, directed by David Esbjornson Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and All My Sons and featuring Nick Offerman of NBC's Parks and Recreation. Performances begin November 11, 2015 and will run through December 13, 2015 at the Bu Theatre Avenue of the Arts.
- 10/1/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Huntington Theatre Company, the 2013 recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award and Boston magazine's Best Theatre of 2013 and 2014, announced today the world premiere production of A Confederacy of Dunces, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Kennedy Toole, directed by David Esbjornson Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and All My Sons and featuring Nick Offerman of NBC's Parks and Recreation. Performances will run November 11 - December 13, 2015 at the Huntington's mainstage, the Bu Theatre.
- 3/2/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Sunset Song
Director: Terence Davies // Writers: Terence Davies, Lewis Crassic Gribbon
While his famous early works were inspired around his incredibly bleak childhood, with a famed trilogy of shorts followed by Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Long Day Closes (1992), the infrequently working auteur Terence Davies has seemed keen on adapting pieces of classic literature, including John Kennedy Toole’s The Neon Bible (1995), Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (2000), and most recently the Terence Ratigan play The Deep Blue Sea (2011), which starred Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston. Another four years have passed and we’re at last hoping to see Davies’ latest, Sunset Song, based on a the 1932 classic Scottish title from Lewis Crassic Gribbon, which is centered on the strong female protagonist Chris Guthrie, growing up amongst a dysfunctional family in the north east of Scotland in 1900. Actress Agyness Deyn will have the chance to prove herself and...
Director: Terence Davies // Writers: Terence Davies, Lewis Crassic Gribbon
While his famous early works were inspired around his incredibly bleak childhood, with a famed trilogy of shorts followed by Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Long Day Closes (1992), the infrequently working auteur Terence Davies has seemed keen on adapting pieces of classic literature, including John Kennedy Toole’s The Neon Bible (1995), Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (2000), and most recently the Terence Ratigan play The Deep Blue Sea (2011), which starred Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston. Another four years have passed and we’re at last hoping to see Davies’ latest, Sunset Song, based on a the 1932 classic Scottish title from Lewis Crassic Gribbon, which is centered on the strong female protagonist Chris Guthrie, growing up amongst a dysfunctional family in the north east of Scotland in 1900. Actress Agyness Deyn will have the chance to prove herself and...
- 1/8/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
EstroGenius 2014 4th Street Theatre 83 E. 4th St., NYC October 2-November 2, 2014
The EstroGenius Festival, currently in its 15th year, spotlights women artists in theater. It is organized into three separate shows -- Andi’s Night, Deb’s Night, and Sarah’s Night -- that each consist of five short plays totaling about an hour and a half per "Night." At the end of a program, audience members can vote for their favorite performer, writer, and director on a ballot included in the program, and votes can also be cast for favorite play for a one-dollar donation per vote. The winning play receives a special encore performance at the end of the festival.
Andi’s Night opens with Snow White Zombie (by Brent Lengel; dir. Sara Stevens), a light, almost fan-fiction-esque imagining of a zombie plague in the land of classic fairy-tale characters. It includes some fun fight choreography and the nice...
The EstroGenius Festival, currently in its 15th year, spotlights women artists in theater. It is organized into three separate shows -- Andi’s Night, Deb’s Night, and Sarah’s Night -- that each consist of five short plays totaling about an hour and a half per "Night." At the end of a program, audience members can vote for their favorite performer, writer, and director on a ballot included in the program, and votes can also be cast for favorite play for a one-dollar donation per vote. The winning play receives a special encore performance at the end of the festival.
Andi’s Night opens with Snow White Zombie (by Brent Lengel; dir. Sara Stevens), a light, almost fan-fiction-esque imagining of a zombie plague in the land of classic fairy-tale characters. It includes some fun fight choreography and the nice...
- 11/3/2014
- by Leah Richards
- www.culturecatch.com
It's not uncommon that we hear about films that have been stuck in development hell for between five and 10 years, but paperback hero Mack Bolan has been waiting multiple decades for his time on the silver screen. After so many years, the character is finally being pulled off the shelf, and a writer has been hired to pen a new feature based around him, but it's amazing to think back on what could have been. Similar to the long in-the-works adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces, which has attracted names like John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, John Goodman, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis over the years but has never been made, fictional hero Mack Bolan has spent many years in Hollywood and has had a knack for drawing the attention of the biggest action stars in the business. Without giving any real specific details regarding...
- 8/13/2014
- cinemablend.com
New York -- The decades-long struggle to turn A Confederacy of Dunces into a movie may have sputtered to an indefinite halt, but plans are moving ahead to bring the beloved book to the stage. In an industry-only reading of the project scheduled for April 28 at Pearl Studios in New York, Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) has signed on to play Ignatius J. Reilly, the pariah who terrorizes New Orleans in John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning cult novel. A picaresque comic odyssey about an overweight, arrogant misfit at large in the colorful French Quarter of New Orleans in 1963, the
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- 4/4/2014
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ex-boyfriends of the world, rejoice! With any luck, a 30-year-old misanthropist who lives with his mom will soon be taking Broadway by storm. While several film versions of The Confederacy of Dunces have so far failed to pan out, Variety announced today that playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and director David Esbjornson are keeping the dream of an adaptation alive by taking John Kennedy Toole's comedy classic to the stage, beginning with a series of readings this spring. Maybe he's too far gone into TV and film at this point, but boy, does this have Josh Gad written all over it.
- 3/11/2014
- by Halle Kiefer
- Vulture
A funny thing happens when you Google David Gordon Green. Buried down under the first page of hits for “David Gordon Green director” is a related search for “what happened to David Gordon Green” which, once clicked, spits out a litany of links to articles with titles like “Whatever Happened To David Gordon Green?” and “What the Fuck Happened to David Gordon Green?” As a fan of Green’s earlier works, I understand the sentiment – it’s hard to conceive that the filmmaker who made dramatic, nuanced works like George Washington and Undertow also made The Sitter and Your Highness. What the fuck indeed. But even the existence of something like Your Highness (a film I keep hoping to like, or at least to forgive) and The Sitter (a misfire in every way) shouldn’t stop a cinephile’s admiration and appreciation of David Gordon Green, because you can still always watch his hands-down, no-contest...
- 8/9/2013
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The debut novel of any author is always a monumental achievement in that writers career, and one which should be celebrated. However, when said novel features opening statements such as “I have constantly fought to control black thoughts and brutal volitions by pushing the burning resentment into a tight little carcinogenic ball in the pit of my stomach” and “here it festers and merrily digests my hopes, my self-respect, my confidence, my self-esteem and my moist, slithering intestines” you could be forgiven for having some doubts about the individual responsible.
Gary D. Morton, author of A Desperate and Pathetic Attempt at Originality, is quick to assure me, however, that (and I quote) “honestly, I’m not a nutter.”
In an exclusive interview with WhatCulture.com, Gary attempts to justify this statement.
Could you tell us a little bit about your novel “A Desperate and Pathetic Attempt at Originality”?
“It’s...
Gary D. Morton, author of A Desperate and Pathetic Attempt at Originality, is quick to assure me, however, that (and I quote) “honestly, I’m not a nutter.”
In an exclusive interview with WhatCulture.com, Gary attempts to justify this statement.
Could you tell us a little bit about your novel “A Desperate and Pathetic Attempt at Originality”?
“It’s...
- 7/26/2013
- by Simon Cassidy
- Obsessed with Film
For every movie that makes it all the way from someone's brain to the big screen, dozens are doomed to spend eternity in Hollywood purgatory — because, quite frankly, getting a major motion picture made is a total bitch.
Only a small fraction of screenplays ever catch the attention of a studio and get put into production, and as you'll see, even that is no guarantee they'll ever be finished. In the messy, ridiculously complicated and maddening process of getting movies made, sometimes even the best ideas slip through the cracks.
With that in mind, we've assembled a list of 15 potentially great movies that Hollywood has done some serious slacking on.
1. 'The Tourist'
A far cry from the forgettable Johnny Depp/Angelina Jolie movie of the same name, "The Tourist" is a famously beautiful script about a group of exiled aliens living human lives in Manhattan — think a darker,...
Only a small fraction of screenplays ever catch the attention of a studio and get put into production, and as you'll see, even that is no guarantee they'll ever be finished. In the messy, ridiculously complicated and maddening process of getting movies made, sometimes even the best ideas slip through the cracks.
With that in mind, we've assembled a list of 15 potentially great movies that Hollywood has done some serious slacking on.
1. 'The Tourist'
A far cry from the forgettable Johnny Depp/Angelina Jolie movie of the same name, "The Tourist" is a famously beautiful script about a group of exiled aliens living human lives in Manhattan — think a darker,...
- 7/2/2013
- by Adam D'Arpino
- NextMovie
In Hollywood there are plenty of movies that get made and others that get canned, but there is also a very special place called Development Hell. It is in this place, also known as Development Limbo, where certain scripts and adaptations hang in a perpetual state of not being made. There are many famous examples of this, such as John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces (which actually recently found new life) and now another one of those is once again trying to get into production. Variety reports that Lionsgate has acquired the rights to Jack Finney's illustrated novel Time and Again and have hired director Doug Liman to helm the project. The book, which was first published in 1970, is about an illustrator living in New York named Simon Morley who volunteers to take part in a secret government project. The experiment ends up sending him back to...
- 7/26/2012
- cinemablend.com
Following a busy week of sales and acquisitions at Cannes, here's a round-up of some of the more interesting and noteworthy projects that were recently added to IMDbPro's database of in-development titles:
A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole's popular posthumous tale of a cynical slob named Ignatius J. Reilly has been one of those "development hell" projects we thought would never get made. But, we said the same thing about The Watchmen once and Karouac's On the Road, which recently premiered at Cannes. So, never say never. Muppets director James Bobin is reportedly in talks with Paramount to finally bring this book that once had Steven Soderbergh attached to helm, to the big screen with Zach Galifianakis as the lead.
Jane Got a Gun – Natalie Portman is set to star in this Western drama for Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin). Written by Black List finalist Brian Duffield, the film centers on a woman trying to defend her homestead when a posse comes after her outlaw husband.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen – Colin Firth's taking on yet another historic role, albeit a more whimsical one than King George VI. The Oscar winner has been tapped to play British playwright and showman Noel Coward in this comedy about the entertainer's stint as a Vegas performer (filling in for an ailing Liberace) during the 1950s. Ross Elliot and Gene Kirkwood produce with a script by Willy Holtzman.
Untitled Wes Anderson Project – Hot off his Cannes' standing ovation for Moonrise Kingdom (and a record-breakingdebut at the box office) indie maven Wes Anderson plans to reunite with his old pal Owen Wilson in his next film, which has already been written and hopes to begin filming by the end of the year.
Bone In The Throat – On the eve of landing his CNN-hosting gig, bad boy chef, world traveller and Kitchen Confidential scribe Anthony Bourdain has optioned his latest best seller to Dignity Film's Maggie Monteith to produce along with Lenny Beckerman and Peter Heslop.
If you know of something in the works, please consider submitting it for listing it via our online submission form.
A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole's popular posthumous tale of a cynical slob named Ignatius J. Reilly has been one of those "development hell" projects we thought would never get made. But, we said the same thing about The Watchmen once and Karouac's On the Road, which recently premiered at Cannes. So, never say never. Muppets director James Bobin is reportedly in talks with Paramount to finally bring this book that once had Steven Soderbergh attached to helm, to the big screen with Zach Galifianakis as the lead.
Jane Got a Gun – Natalie Portman is set to star in this Western drama for Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin). Written by Black List finalist Brian Duffield, the film centers on a woman trying to defend her homestead when a posse comes after her outlaw husband.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen – Colin Firth's taking on yet another historic role, albeit a more whimsical one than King George VI. The Oscar winner has been tapped to play British playwright and showman Noel Coward in this comedy about the entertainer's stint as a Vegas performer (filling in for an ailing Liberace) during the 1950s. Ross Elliot and Gene Kirkwood produce with a script by Willy Holtzman.
Untitled Wes Anderson Project – Hot off his Cannes' standing ovation for Moonrise Kingdom (and a record-breakingdebut at the box office) indie maven Wes Anderson plans to reunite with his old pal Owen Wilson in his next film, which has already been written and hopes to begin filming by the end of the year.
Bone In The Throat – On the eve of landing his CNN-hosting gig, bad boy chef, world traveller and Kitchen Confidential scribe Anthony Bourdain has optioned his latest best seller to Dignity Film's Maggie Monteith to produce along with Lenny Beckerman and Peter Heslop.
If you know of something in the works, please consider submitting it for listing it via our online submission form.
- 5/29/2012
- by Eric Greene
- IMDbPro News
It's a great piece of casting: Zach Galifianakis as Ignatius J. Reilly in a film adaptation of "A Confederacy of Dunces." And it looks like the movie may actually happen after decades of false starts.
Vulture reports that director James Bobin ("The Muppets," "Flight of the Conchords") is in negotiations to take on the movie, with Scott Rudin ("The Social Network," "True Grit") producing and Phil Johnston ("Cedar Rapids") adapting John Kennedy Toole's novel. Galifianakis ("The Hangover") is attached to play Ignatius, the slovenly, scholarly outcast hero of the book.
"A Confederacy of Dunces" has a long and fraught history in coming to the screen. Harold Ramis was set to direct a movie based on the book in 1982, but his intended star, John Belushi, died of a drug overdose a few days before a meeting with studio executives. Projects starring John Candy and Chris Farley came and went. Will Ferrell...
Vulture reports that director James Bobin ("The Muppets," "Flight of the Conchords") is in negotiations to take on the movie, with Scott Rudin ("The Social Network," "True Grit") producing and Phil Johnston ("Cedar Rapids") adapting John Kennedy Toole's novel. Galifianakis ("The Hangover") is attached to play Ignatius, the slovenly, scholarly outcast hero of the book.
"A Confederacy of Dunces" has a long and fraught history in coming to the screen. Harold Ramis was set to direct a movie based on the book in 1982, but his intended star, John Belushi, died of a drug overdose a few days before a meeting with studio executives. Projects starring John Candy and Chris Farley came and went. Will Ferrell...
- 5/23/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
John Kennedy Toole’s novel “A Confederacy of Dunces” became a cult classic upon its release in 1980, eleven years after the author’s suicide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the next year, and a film version was put in the works shortly afterward. Groundhog Day director Harold Ramis was once set to go behind the [...]
Read similar posts to A Confederacy of Dunces may move forward with Zach Galifianakis on Filmonic...
Read similar posts to A Confederacy of Dunces may move forward with Zach Galifianakis on Filmonic...
- 5/23/2012
- by Ben Pearson
- Filmonic.com
One of the most cherished (and protected) works of New Orleans art, John Kennedy Toole’s novel A Confederacy of Dunces, is once again heading for the big screen, allegedly. Vulture reports the latest attempt at bringing the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly to the screen will be led by James Bobin (Flight Of The Conchords co-creator, The Muppets director), off a script by Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids and the upcoming Alexander Payne film Nebraska) and star Zach Galifianakis in the role of the iconic Reilly. Previous proposed film adaptations of the tome have had John Belushi, Harold Ramis, John ...
- 5/23/2012
- avclub.com
One of the most cherished (and protected) works of New Orleans art, John Kennedy Toole’s novel A Confederacy of Dunces, is once again heading for the big screen, allegedly. Vulture reports the latest attempt at bringing the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly to the screen will be led by James Bobin (Flight Of The Conchords co-creator, The Muppets director), off a script by Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids and the upcoming Alexander Payne film Nebraska) and star Zach Galifianakis in the role of the iconic Reilly. Previous proposed film adaptations of the tome have had John Belushi, Harold Ramis, John ...
- 5/23/2012
- avclub.com
Attempts to adapt the late John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces goes back many years with David Gordon Green at one time attached to direct and Will Ferrell signed on to play lead character J. Reilly. Vulture provided a new spark of hope to the book’s many fans with news of The Muppets director James Bobin joining the latest production and Zach Galifianakis in talks to play Reilly, a lazy 30-year-old living with his mom in ‘60s New Orleans. Cedar Rapids screenwriter Phil Johnston began work on the latest attempt to adapt Toole’s novel with Paramount looking to co-finance the movie.
- 5/23/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Attempts to adapt the late John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces goes back many years with David Gordon Green at one time attached to direct and Will Ferrell signed on to play lead character J. Reilly. Vulture provided a new spark of hope to the book’s many fans with news of The Muppets director James Bobin joining the latest production and Zach Galifianakis in talks to play Reilly, a lazy 30-year-old living with his mom in ‘60s New Orleans. Cedar Rapids screenwriter Phil Johnston began work on the latest attempt to adapt Toole’s novel with Paramount looking to co-finance the movie.
- 5/23/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Hot on the heels of his nostalgic return of The Muppets, director James Bobin is already working on a sequel. However, it sounds like he might be putting his talents to use getting a long gestating adaptation off the ground after decades of various attempts. Vulture has word that Bobin is currently negotiating to direct an adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces. A script is coming from Cedar Rapids writer Phil Johnston and apparently Zach Galifianakis, who has been a favorite to star in the project amongst those who have read the book, is apparently attached to the project. That's a lot of information to take in after 30 years of attempts to make the movie. First, let's recap what this story is all about for those who might be unfamiliar. Set in New Orleans in the early 1960s, the book follows the sheltered,...
- 5/23/2012
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
After years of false starts, it appears as if John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces will finally get the film adaptation it deserves. Vulture has reported that The Muppets director and Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin is in talks with Paramount Pictures to get the movie produced. Cedar Rapids writer Phil Johnston would adapt a screenplay, and Zach Galifianakis has been pegged to star as the iconic Ignatius J. Reilly....
- 5/23/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Like hoverbikes and private space travel (actually kind of a thing now!), there are a lot of "in development" projects that those of us who grew up in the '80s have been waiting to see come to fruition since, well, the '80s. A film adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces is one of these projects. Vulture reports that lovable beard-o Zach Galifianakis is attached to play Ignatius J. Reilly, James Bobin (The Muppets) to direct, Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids) to write, and Scott Rudin to produce via Paramont. Our hearts are all pittter-patter again. For those not in the know, John Kennedy Toole’s posthumously published work follow a well-educated, unapologetically elitist thirty-year-old slob who still lives with his mother in New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood as he searches for work, watches movies, and encounters a wealth of the city's eccentrics and weirdos. It is wonderful and [...]...
- 5/23/2012
- Nerve
After several decades stuck in development hell, the plans to turn John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "A Confederacy of Dunces" may finally have a chance at Paramount Pictures says Vulture.
Set in New Orleans in the early 1960s, the story follows an educated but slothful 30-year-old man living with his mother who must set out to get a job. In his quest for employment he has various adventures with colorful French Quarter characters.
The latest names attached to the project are "The Muppets" director James Bobin, "Cedar Rapids" scribe Phil Johnston and "The Hangover" actor Zach Galifianakis who're in either negotiations or are already attached to the project in those capacities. Scott Rudin is already set to produce.
Amongst the famous names to have been attached over the years are actors like John Belushi, John Candy, Richard Pryor, Chris Farley, John Goodman, Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Alan Cumming,...
Set in New Orleans in the early 1960s, the story follows an educated but slothful 30-year-old man living with his mother who must set out to get a job. In his quest for employment he has various adventures with colorful French Quarter characters.
The latest names attached to the project are "The Muppets" director James Bobin, "Cedar Rapids" scribe Phil Johnston and "The Hangover" actor Zach Galifianakis who're in either negotiations or are already attached to the project in those capacities. Scott Rudin is already set to produce.
Amongst the famous names to have been attached over the years are actors like John Belushi, John Candy, Richard Pryor, Chris Farley, John Goodman, Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Alan Cumming,...
- 5/23/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
John Kennedy Toole never got to see his lone novel, “A Confederacy of Dunces,” get published, as it was only ever made public eleven years after his death. And names like John Belushi, John Candy, and Chris Farley never got the chance to play the novel’s main character, Ignatius Reilly, as they all passed away before the various adaptations they were proposed to be parts of ever came together. At this point, it probably wouldn’t be much of a stretch to call any possibility of this beloved novel ever becoming a movie doomed. It appears as though its valve has closed. Or not. Vulture has news that the Confederacy of Dunces adaptation, which has been trying to get off the ground since 1982, is once again looking like it might be a go. And this time the talents involved in its resurrection are all so appealing that you might not even make yourself sick with worry...
- 5/23/2012
- by Nathan Adams
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
A Confederacy of Dunces, a project based on the legendary novel by John Kennedy Toole, has been in development hell for so long now that I have to imagine that other projects bow down to it. While we here on Cinema Blend regularly update on projects that have spent a decade trying to get made, studios have been trying to develop a Confederacy of Dunces movie since the early 1980s. First introduced to Hollywood as a possible feature project for Harold Ramis to adapt and direct in 1982, the film has had a number of actors attached, including John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, John Goodman, and Will Ferrell. Given its history it's hard to imagine a movie actually ever getting made, but the movie industry is everything if not persistent and so now the latest generation is getting going on making the adaptation. Vulture reports that the actor now being...
- 5/23/2012
- cinemablend.com
"Apparently I lack some particular perversion which today's employer is seeking."
So says Ignatius J. Reilly, the lovably insufferable vagabond philosopher protagonist of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitizer Prize-winning novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces." The same could be said for the book itself, which has been the wallowing in a particularly dense corner of Hollywood development hell for the past 30 years.
But you can't keep Ignatius down forever (in theory, anyway), and Hollywood's ready to give it another go — this time with "Hangover" star Zach Galifianakis taking on the role of Reilly, according to Vulture.
This latest attempt at an adaptation of "A Confederacy of Dunces" also has James Bobin ("The Muppets") in talks to sit in the director's chair with a script by Phil Johnston ("Cedar Rapids"). Scott Rudin is producing and setting up shop at Paramount.
"Dunces" has a long track record of close but no cigar ("Cigar?...
So says Ignatius J. Reilly, the lovably insufferable vagabond philosopher protagonist of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitizer Prize-winning novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces." The same could be said for the book itself, which has been the wallowing in a particularly dense corner of Hollywood development hell for the past 30 years.
But you can't keep Ignatius down forever (in theory, anyway), and Hollywood's ready to give it another go — this time with "Hangover" star Zach Galifianakis taking on the role of Reilly, according to Vulture.
This latest attempt at an adaptation of "A Confederacy of Dunces" also has James Bobin ("The Muppets") in talks to sit in the director's chair with a script by Phil Johnston ("Cedar Rapids"). Scott Rudin is producing and setting up shop at Paramount.
"Dunces" has a long track record of close but no cigar ("Cigar?...
- 5/23/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
When you talk dream projects that you wish could become resurrected -- something we do for shits and giggles from time to time -- very high on our list is John Kennedy Toole's posthumously-published, picaresque novel "A Confederacy of Dunces" (published in 1980, eleven years after the author's suicide at the age of 32). Steven Soderbergh and Scott Kramer (producer for "The Limey") wrote a screenplay in the late '90s (we still have a copy lying around somewhere) and in the early aughts, they attached David Gordon Green to direct circa "Undertow," and names like Will Ferrell, Mos Def, and Drew Barrymore circulated for the lead roles (Barrymore would have co-produced).
But as Green told MTV in 2004, "There were too many cooks involved, too many producers [and] the egos of a lot of people." It didn't help that Soderbergh and producer Scott Rudin got involved in a nasty lawsuit over the project.
But as Green told MTV in 2004, "There were too many cooks involved, too many producers [and] the egos of a lot of people." It didn't help that Soderbergh and producer Scott Rudin got involved in a nasty lawsuit over the project.
- 5/23/2012
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
A Confederacy of Dunces is one of “those” projects — the kind whose name will emerge every couple of years, recede for a couple more, and completely dissipate from your mind throughout that latter period. Little did I know that its Hollywood days originated in 1982, when Harold Ramis worked with Universal to adapt the John Kennedy Toole novel — John Belushi would have led — and, several years ago, Will Ferrell was going to lead a version co-written by Steven Soderbergh; David Gordon Green was pegged to helm. There’s more in-between, but those two efforts alone make it a legendary unmade film. Or, one of “those” projects.
Yet there may finally be light at the end of this film’s 30-year tunnel, with Vulture reporting that James Bobin (The Muppets) is in negotiations to direct for Paramount and producer Scott Rudin — Zach Galifianakis, meanwhile, is apparently attached to lead as Ignatius J.
Yet there may finally be light at the end of this film’s 30-year tunnel, with Vulture reporting that James Bobin (The Muppets) is in negotiations to direct for Paramount and producer Scott Rudin — Zach Galifianakis, meanwhile, is apparently attached to lead as Ignatius J.
- 5/23/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
“When Fortuna spins you downward, go out to a movie and get more out of life.” — Ignatius J. Reilly, A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole’s posthumously Pulitzer Prize–winning novel may finally be taking its protagonist’s advice: Vulture hears exclusively that Flight of the Conchords co-creator and The Muppets director James Bobin is in negotiations to at long last bring the picaresque paean to New Orleans to the big screen via producer Scott Rudin and Paramount Pictures. We hear the script will be fashioned by Cedar Rapids screenwriter Phil Johnston (who also co-wrote Alexander Payne’s forthcoming Nebraska) and that, perhaps best of all, the seemingly perfectly matched Zach Galifianakis is attached to the project to star as Reilly.Now, of course, let's don’t get too excited, for this year actually marks the 30th anniversary of Harold Ramis’s 1982 plan to adapt the book, an effort which has been,...
- 5/23/2012
- by Claude Brodesser-Akner
- Vulture
The gods taketh away, but they also giveth… On the day that word broke that Disney has decided to pull the brakes on long-development Snow White riff Order Of The Seven comes news that another, even older film may finally be gaining some momentum. Which one? Try the adaptation of John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy Of Dunces, which, according to the team at Vulture, now has Zach Galifianakis attached to star and Muppets director James Bobin in negotiations to wield the megaphone. Cedar Rapids' writer Phil Johnston is attached to write the script for this latest version, which Paramount is looking to put together.If, and this is a big if, given the title’s history (more on that below) Galifianakis does end up starring, he’ll play Ignatius J Reilly, an educated but lazy 30-year-old who is forced to stop living with his mother in 1960s New...
- 5/22/2012
- EmpireOnline
Zach Galifianakis could be taking on the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in a feature-film version of A Confederacy of Dunces . Vulture is reporting that the project is back on track with The Muppets director James Bobin now at the helm. Said to be set up at Paramount Pictures, Phil Johnston ( Cedar Rapids ) will provide the adapted screenplay based on John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a slovenly 30-something who, living with mother, sets out to find a job in New Orlean's French Quarter. Thinking himself a highly-educated genius, Reilly's quixotic nature serves as a sharp contrast to the various souls he encounters. The acclaimed novel was published in 1980, more than a decade after the death of the author. Suffering from depression, Toole committed suicide...
- 5/22/2012
- Comingsoon.net
The British director Terence Davies made his name in the eighties and nineties on a series of touching cinematic contemplations of his own youth, in elegant, elliptical films such as The Long Day Closes and Distant Voices, Still Lives. He has since directed a number of adaptations, including 1995’s The Neon Bible and 2000’s The House of Mirth, in which he wedded his own highly controlled aesthetic with the narrative demands of stories by John Kennedy Toole and Edith Wharton, respectively. They, however, were also artists of repressed emotion and submerged lives. Now, with his adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea, Davies has taken on something of a challenge: Rattigan may have been a genteel writer, but this play about adulterous passion and disillusionment revealed a new emotional nakedness for him. So, too, for Davies, who has somehow found a way into the raw wounds of Rattigan...
- 3/23/2012
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Terence Rattigan's romantic drama set in a repressive postwar Britain is brought to the big screen superbly by Terence Davies
If we count his first three short films made on shoestring budgets between 1976 and 1983 as a trilogy, and his next, Distant Voices, Still Lives, as a diptych (they were actually made separately), Terence Davies has directed a mere seven films in 35 years. This puts him in the same exclusive league for low output and high quality as his contemporary, Terrence Malick. Davies's last film, Of Time and the City (2008), was a withering documentary about the sad decline of his hometown, Liverpool, and it followed two feature pictures adapted from American novels set at different times and in different American milieux, John Kennedy Toole's The Neon Bible and Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth.
His outstanding new movie, The Deep Blue Sea, is a version of a play by Terence Rattigan,...
If we count his first three short films made on shoestring budgets between 1976 and 1983 as a trilogy, and his next, Distant Voices, Still Lives, as a diptych (they were actually made separately), Terence Davies has directed a mere seven films in 35 years. This puts him in the same exclusive league for low output and high quality as his contemporary, Terrence Malick. Davies's last film, Of Time and the City (2008), was a withering documentary about the sad decline of his hometown, Liverpool, and it followed two feature pictures adapted from American novels set at different times and in different American milieux, John Kennedy Toole's The Neon Bible and Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth.
His outstanding new movie, The Deep Blue Sea, is a version of a play by Terence Rattigan,...
- 11/27/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
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