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connielane at 12:14pm on 16/03/2010 under snarkle
connielane at 12:14pm on 16/03/2010 under snarkleSo, remember back when it was announced that Breaking Dawn would be two films and that they were seeking "high-end" directors for it? Well, there's already been some backtracking on the two-movie thing, as the actors have not signed anything and still don't know for sure if it will be one movie or two.
I had a little fun a while back guessing what kind of directors they might be thinking about, and as hilarious as it might be to imagine a Coen Brothers version of the Sparkleverse, the producers don't seem to be going in quite that direction. They're definitely thinking high-end, though - as in Oscar-nominated/winning. Here's who they've put feelers out to:
Sofia Coppola - Oscar-nominated for Lost in Translation (which was also up for Best Picture in 2003); also directed the very excellent Virgin Suicides and the less excellent but still pretty cool Marie Antionette. As you may remember, she is one of the incredibly small group of women who've been nominated for a directing Oscar. All of the four features she's directed have also been written by her. Setting aside the huge issue of quality, I don't see her taking on something written by another screenwriter which in turn is based on someone else's book. Not likely to happen, especially if it's two movies.
Gus Van Sant - Oscar-nominated for Good Will Hunting and my top film of 2008, Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture; also directed Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Finding Forrester, Elephant, Paranoid Park, and a remake of Psycho (but we'll forgive him for that one). Most of his directing efforts he has also written, but his two Oscar nominees were written by others (who incidentally each went on to win screenwriting Oscars). His films often have gay themes and/or gay subtext, and after a string of big-budget, high-profile movies in the late 1990s he deliberately went back to more intimate arthouse filmmaking, citing independent filmmaking icon John Cassavetes as one of his influences. I'm sorry, but this seems like the least likely person on the entire planet to make a fanservice movie about sparkly vampires.
Bill Condon - Directed Dreamgirls, Kinsey, and a beautiful film about horror director James Whale called Gods and Monsters (for which he won a screenwriting Oscar). He also directed a (very bad) horror movie sequel called Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, so maybe they're onto something here. The problem is, like Van Sant and Coppola, Condon's directorial efforts are almost always written by him as well. Another problem is that, unlike Van Sant (who is currently filming his latest) and Coppola (who is in post on a film being released this year), Condon already has like three films in the pipeline for 2012. I really don't see him having the time for a two-movie shoot, or even one movie.
Of course, none of these names are even in the "talks" stages - this is just who the studio is "reaching out" to. Suffice it to say, though, that I would be very surprised to hear that any of these three were going to take the Twilight job. But more than that, I would just be deeply (DEEPLY) disappointed. Aim lower, Summit. Or go for broke to get Cronenberg, if you're so hot for a real filmmaker.
I had a little fun a while back guessing what kind of directors they might be thinking about, and as hilarious as it might be to imagine a Coen Brothers version of the Sparkleverse, the producers don't seem to be going in quite that direction. They're definitely thinking high-end, though - as in Oscar-nominated/winning. Here's who they've put feelers out to:
Sofia Coppola - Oscar-nominated for Lost in Translation (which was also up for Best Picture in 2003); also directed the very excellent Virgin Suicides and the less excellent but still pretty cool Marie Antionette. As you may remember, she is one of the incredibly small group of women who've been nominated for a directing Oscar. All of the four features she's directed have also been written by her. Setting aside the huge issue of quality, I don't see her taking on something written by another screenwriter which in turn is based on someone else's book. Not likely to happen, especially if it's two movies.
Gus Van Sant - Oscar-nominated for Good Will Hunting and my top film of 2008, Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture; also directed Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Finding Forrester, Elephant, Paranoid Park, and a remake of Psycho (but we'll forgive him for that one). Most of his directing efforts he has also written, but his two Oscar nominees were written by others (who incidentally each went on to win screenwriting Oscars). His films often have gay themes and/or gay subtext, and after a string of big-budget, high-profile movies in the late 1990s he deliberately went back to more intimate arthouse filmmaking, citing independent filmmaking icon John Cassavetes as one of his influences. I'm sorry, but this seems like the least likely person on the entire planet to make a fanservice movie about sparkly vampires.
Bill Condon - Directed Dreamgirls, Kinsey, and a beautiful film about horror director James Whale called Gods and Monsters (for which he won a screenwriting Oscar). He also directed a (very bad) horror movie sequel called Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, so maybe they're onto something here. The problem is, like Van Sant and Coppola, Condon's directorial efforts are almost always written by him as well. Another problem is that, unlike Van Sant (who is currently filming his latest) and Coppola (who is in post on a film being released this year), Condon already has like three films in the pipeline for 2012. I really don't see him having the time for a two-movie shoot, or even one movie.
Of course, none of these names are even in the "talks" stages - this is just who the studio is "reaching out" to. Suffice it to say, though, that I would be very surprised to hear that any of these three were going to take the Twilight job. But more than that, I would just be deeply (DEEPLY) disappointed. Aim lower, Summit. Or go for broke to get Cronenberg, if you're so hot for a real filmmaker.
cynical