The Year That Was: 2014 in Film

Check out ALL of the PDC end of year lists!

Review: Ava DuVernay's 'Selma'

Starring David Oyelowo

Review: Rob Marshall's 'Into The Woods'

Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick

Tim Burton's 'Big Eyes'

Starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams

Showing posts with label alan ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alan ball. Show all posts

Monday, March 31, 2014

Ben Stiller to Star in 'I Am Chippendales', Enters Talks to Direct 'The Current War'


Not every movie about strippers can be as fun as Magic Mike (or the upcoming sequel Magic Mike XXL) or Striptease. Some involve fraud, arson, and murder, and Ben Stiller has found himself attached to one of those films, taking a lead role in the long-developing I Am Chippendales.

Once a project eyed by Tony Scott some years ago, Alan Ball (American Beauty) will write, produce, and direct the adaptation of Rodney Sheldon's book about Paul Snider and Somen “Steve” Banerjee. Banerjee was a former gas station attendant who bought a rundown old nightclub and, with the help of Snider, turned it into the famous night club, Chippendales. Stiller will play Nick DeNoia, a choreographer who helped come up with the idea for the strip joint and expand it to a global level until Banerjee tried to have them killed.

Sounds like weighty material, although it was described awhile back as being in the vein of True Romance. Who knows how it will actually end up, but Stiller has another project coming up that will find him behind the camera rather than in front. Last year he was mentioned as a possibility to direct The Current War, and now Deadline says he's official in talks for the job. Michael Mitnick's Black List script follows public war between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to supply the first stable electric current.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Elizabeth Banks to star in Alan Ball's 'What's the Matter with Margie?'


Elizabeth Banks has proven to be quite the comedic actress, and has worked with some of the best minds of the genre during her career, beginning with David Wain's Wet Hot American Summer, Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Judd Apatow's The 40-Year Old Virgin. She's maintained a steady foothold in the comedy realm while broadening her horizons quite nicely, scoring the biggest hit of her career as the gaudy Effie Trinkett in The Hunger Games. Now out of Cannes comes word that she'll work with Alan Ball(American Beauty) on a dark comedy titled What's the Matter with Margie?

Banks will take the title role of Margie, a stepped on office employee who after years of abuse finally snaps and goes all postal on their asses, murdering her tormentors. Ball provided the original screenplay, with the underrated Daniel Minehan(Series 7: The Contenders) directing. This will be Ball's first feature film since 2007's Towelhead, which I suggest you all check out if you haven't caught up with it yet.

Ball is gearing up for the fifth season of his HBO series, True Blood, while Banks will be seen next in People Like Us, starring Chris Pine. [Deadline]