"The Zog" Nears Completion/Brit Producers #2

Good Tuesday Everyone.

"THE ZOG" NEARS COMPLETION

For months I've been reporting on the development and progress on the project to makeover The Hanley Pavilion in Town Park in Telluride so that it can be used as a tenth venue during the film festival.  The Telluride Daily Planet reported yesterday that the progress has been good and that the new "Werner Herzog Theater" (The Zog) is on target.

The story also dropped a couple of interesting items.  First, and perhaps most eye-catching was the revelation that "The Zog" will be mostly a "first come, first serve venue".  Festival co-director Julie Huntsinger is quoted in the article as saying that there will be no passholder distinction at "The Zog".  Huntsinger says in the story that the exception will be in the case of film premieres that occur at the new 750 seat facility.

Another interesting note is that, in addition to the extra fifth day of programming to celebrate the fests 40th anniversary, a special Wednesday afternoon "event" will be held to start the weekend.  The story doesn't give any clues as to what that "event" might be.

Here's the link to the complete Telluride Daily Planet story:

http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2013/07/07/news/doc51d75875e8e88369135159.txt

BRIT PRODUCERS #2

Yesterday I examined a couple of British production outfits that have been a part of the festival in the past.  Today I'll look at another: Film4.

FILM4 has been a fairly constant presence at Telluride over the past seven years:

2006: Deep Water
2007: When Did You Last See Your Father, Brick Lane
2008: Happy-Go-Lucky, Hunger, Slumdog Millionaire
2009:
2010: Another Year, Never Let Me Go
2011: Shame
2012:

Although Film4 wasn't represented in 2012, they do have a number of possible films in the barrel that could have Telluride potential including:

The John LeCarre adaptation "A Most Wanted Man"
Roger Michell's "Le Weekend"
Kevin Macdonald's "How I Live Now"
Cannes success "The Selfish Giant"
Ken Loach's "The Spirit of 45"
and Jonathan Glazer's "Under the Skin".

All but "A Most Wanted Man" have been addressed/assessed in this space recently ("Le Weekend" and "How I Live Now" were discussed in the "Usual Suspects" posts, "The Selfish Giant" in the Sundance Selects portion of U.S. distribution companies and "Spirit of '45" and "Under the Skin" in yesterday's UK Film Council breakdown).

"A Most Wanted Man" has no other Telluride indicators, so its status as a Telluride "potential" is limited.  Put it 20%.

There are other Brit Film Production houses that have some history with Telluride: Lipsync, See Saw, Film Four, but as of right now, these companies don't have films listed on IMDb that appear to be in position for TFF #40.

Tomorrow, we'll begin to take a look at the French film production houses that could be a part of this year's fest.


SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE REDUX?

A number of outlets reported the last couple of days that a new film rendition of Kurt Vonnegut's classic "Slaughterhouse Five" might be in the works.

It's my favorite novel but I've always been a bit disappointed in the 1972 George Roy Hill film version.

The story came to light in the P.R. run up to the release of "Pacific Rim" as director Guillermo del Toro revealed that he had been batting the idea around with Universal and wanted to get Charlie Kaufman on board to write a new script based on the novel.

Now, I'm not as crazy about del Toro's work as a lot of people.  I am impressed with the visual style he brings to the screen, but otherwise I've never been blown away by his directing style.  Additionally, I'll be honest, I think "Pacific Rim" looks...um...silly.  I know, I know...but the Idris Elba "canceling the apocalypse" line...please.

What I do think is exciting about the del Toro tidbits is how he'll make Tralfamadore and the Tralfamadorians look.  That and his terrific notion to try to lure Kaufman to the project.  I can't think of a better-suited screen writer for the material than Charlie Kaufman.

There do seem to be obstacles, however.  Money and time being the principle issues.

Check these posts from HitFix:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/wait-guillermo-del-toro-has-a-take-on-slaughterhouse-five-with-charlie-kaufman


and Hollywood Elsewhere:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2013/07/slaughterhouse-script-unstuck-in-universal-miasma/


Follow/Like Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

More tomorrow.

Dallas Buyers Date/Most Wanted Leaked Trailer/Coming Attractions: Dardennes and Cotillard

Good Tuesday to everyone.

DALLAS BUYERS DATE

I have mentioned Jean-Marc Vallee's "Dallas Buyers Club" starring Matthew McConnaughey as a Telluride potential film for a while now.  We got word yesterday from The Playlist that the film has settled into a Dec. 6th release date which puts it in prime time awards wise and also well within the Telluride time frame.  Here's the link to the Playlist post:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/will-this-finally-be-matthew-mcconaugheys-oscar-year-the-dallas-buyers-club-nabs-awards-season-date-20130607

By the by...I think McConnaughey seems like a very strong Best Actor candidate with this.

MOST WANTED TRAILER LEAKED

Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood tweeted yesterday that BleedingCool.com had leaked a trailer for Anton Corbijn's John LeCarre adaptation "A Most Wanted Man".  "Most Wanted" also has some TFF #40 potential as I noted last week.

Here's the link to the story:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/05/leaked-trailer-for-a-most-wanted-man-anton-corbijn-adapts-john-le-carre/


COMING ATTRACTIONS

Keep your eyes peeled for this film as a possible/probable selection for TFF #41: "Two Days, One Night" from the Dardennes Brothers and featuring Oscar winner and TFF #39 Tributee Marion Cotillard.

The Hollywood Reporter has the story here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-new-dardenne-brothers-movie-525233#

Follow/Like Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse/107846269309712

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

More tomorrow...

Starting to Read the Tea Leaves

Good Tuesday!

STARTING TO READ THE TEA LEAVES

Last February 28th the fine folks at HitFix/InContention gave us their rundown of 25 films that they thought would have Oscar potential for this year.  Included within each film's capsule description was a guess at its fall film festival potential.  I have referenced this article a couple of times since its initial post and thought of it again as I get ready for a summer of Telluride #40 speculation so it seemed like a good place to return to as a way of kicking off the summer.  You can access the entire post here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/oscars-2014-contenders-25-films-to-watch-for

For those that would prefer a truncated version...here you go.

Listed alphabetically, here are the 13 films they mentioned as Telluride possibles on the list of 25 (with a comment or two along the way):

"August: Osage County"...I'm dubious that this will actually play Telluride.  This seems more like a New York Film Fest opener or closer to me.  That said, it's not impossible.  Distribution is by The Weinstein Company...past tributee George Clooney is a producer.  Past tributee Meryl Streep plays the lead (or co-lead).

"Captain Phillips"...Again, I'd be surprised.

"Diana"...Third straight film that HitFix lists that I think probably won't play.

"The Fifth Estate"...The Julian Assange film starring Benedict Cumberbatch.  Finally, a film that I think has a fighting shot to make the T-ride playlist.  Bill Condon directs and has been repped at Telluride previously with "Kinsey" which also provides the second bit of Telluride connectivity.  Laura Linney (of "Kinsey" and frequent Telluride appearances) is a in "Fifth Estate".  This might even make the first "Ten Bets" list that'll go up at the end of the month.

"Foxcatcher"...Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum in a true story of murder and Olympic wrestling directed by Bennett Miller.  This is a soft maybe from me at this point, though I'd be pretty psyched if it actually does show at The SHOW.

"Labor Day"...Jason Reitman directs ("Juno", "Up in the Air") after having not been in Telluride with "Young Adult" in 2011.  I think he'll be back.  And I am looking forward to that potential return.  Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin...yes please.  And just to toss a thought out there...A Kate Winslet tribute?

"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"...Again, I'm dubious.  Although it has a Telluride pedigree in that its distribution is via TWC and director Justin Chadwick was repped at TFF #37 with "The First Grader".

"A Most Wanted Man"...The TFF connection is pretty thin here but I'd love for it to make the grade.  It's a John LeCarre story and has Philip Seymour Hoffman in it.  Film4 is listed as a producer and that's the only real connection to past TFFs.  Film4 helped produce "Shame", "Never Let Me Go" and "Slumdog Millionaire" and looking at what the have produced for the rest of 2013, I believe they will have some presence at TFF #40.

"Nebraska"...If Alexander Payne's new film isn't on the TFF #40 list I would be shocked.

"Oldboy"...If Spike Lee's new film IS ON the TFF #40 list I would be shocked.


"Out of the Furnace"...Director Scott Cooper's follow-up to "Crazy Heart", the little film that earned Jeff Bridges the Oscar for Best Actor.  The film stars Christian Bale and Casey Affleck.  "Furnace" film doesn't have any particular Telluride pedigree so it wouldn't seem likely.

"Rush"...the Ron Howard directed film about big time auto racing wouldn't seem like the most likely of Telluride films, but T-ride is the only festival that the HitFix article even suggests for the highly anticipated film.

"Serena"...I don't know a lot about this film beyond the fact that it re-unites "Silver Linings Playbook" stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence and it's directed  by Susanne Bier. What makes me think it's really possible is that U.S. distributor Magnolia also had "The Hunt" and "A Royal Affair" in its stable last year and they played Telluride.


There are 5 films on the Hit Fix list that I would love to see at Telluride that aren't speculated as T-ride films:
"The Counselor", "Inside Llewyn Davis", "Monuments Men", "Wolf of Wall Street" and "Twelve Years a Slave".  Although I think I could make a good case for "Twelve Years" and a so-so case for "Monuments Men".  The other three...yeah, I'd be surprised too.

The remaining 7 films on the HitFix list are Sundance films, will have already opened prior to Telluride or probably has no chance of playing Telluride.

So, from the entire list of 25, the best bets are "Nebraska", "Labor Day" and "The Fifth Estate".

Follow/Like Michael's Telluride Film Blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michaels-Telluride-Film-Blog-and-The-Film-Awards-Clearinghouse/107846269309712

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

More on Wednesday...