Thursday, March 31, 2016

Downsizing Re-visited / Woody's Cafe to Open Cannes

Good Thursday Everyone...


DOWNSIZING RE-VISITED


Alexander Payne


On Monday's "Very Early List" I included Craig Johnson's Wilson as one of ten films that I think has a realistic shot at playing at Telluride.  In large part because one of its producers is Alexander Payne who has become a Telluride mainstay.  He is someone I expect to see each year at the SHOW.

Payne's next directing effort is also a film that I would expect would make the Telluride lineup.  The film is entitled Downsizing and will star Matt Damon.  It is not set for release, however until Dec. 2017 so I'd look for it at TFF #44.

News about Downsizing broke big Tuesday.  The cast was to have included Reese Witherspoon, a Telluride attendee in 2014 with Wild.  That appears to have changed, though, with multiple sources reporting that scheduling conflicts have prevented her participation.  Further, Witherspoon has been replaced by Saturday Night Live alum Kristen Wiig.

Perhaps we'll see Ms. Wiig and Damon on Colorado Ave. next year.

Here's coverage of the cast switch and other details from several sources:

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/kristen-wiig-joins-matt-damon-downsizing-1201741344/

http://www.thewrap.com/martian-reunion-kristen-wiig-joins-matt-damon-in-alexander-paynes-downsizing/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/kristen-wiig-replaces-reese-witherspoon-in-alexander-paynes-downsizing-20160329



WOODY'S CAFE TO OPEN CANNES

                               

Image from the Cannes Film Festival


Word this week that another piece of the Cannes lineup puzzle has been put into place.  Woody Allen's latest project, Cafe Society, was named as the opening night film for the 69th festival.  Cafe Society's selection was not a surprise as it had been rumored in a number of sources to have been one of the films under consideration for the opening slot.  The film will, as has been the custom for Allen's Cannes films, appear out of competition.

Coverage of the selection is here:

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