Motor City

[elenoire]

I think it's time to open a new thread for Motor City, now that we have a schedule. Shooting starts in September and here are some of the articles already posted in the Current Movie Rumours thread

thefilmstage.com/news/gerard-butler-in-talks-to-take-wheel-of-motor-city/

One big casting headache may have just struck its final chord, as Variety reports that Gerard Butler is now in talks with Warner Bros. about taking the lead of Motor City. This comes after a more-than six-month-long casting process, one which cycled amongst Chris Evans, Dominic Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jeremy Renner. And it may all come down to the comeback-bound Scotsman.

The Chad St. John-scripted role would see him play “a small time hood who is framed and sent to prison, only to exact revenge years later on a kingpin-type (Gary Oldman) to get back the woman (Amber Heard) he loves”; kind of a perfect role for him, actually. Sure, Butler may not have the same level of talent or charisma as some of the aforementioned prior candidates, but would any of us doubt him as a hard-nosed badass? The guy’s certainly a more believable fit than (all due respect) Jake Gyllenhaal.

The only thing standing in his way right now would be Robert Luketic‘s Brilliant, which, like Motor City, has been scheduled to roll cameras this coming June. I’d hope — for reasons both plentiful and obvious — that he veers toward the latter, though a pre-existing relationship with Luketic (who directed him in The Ugly Truth) could stand as an obstacle. Needless to say, I wouldn’t mind being wrong in this regard.

www.variety.com/article/VR1118052058

Butler on 'Motor City' assembly line
'300' thesp in talks for lead in Albert Hughes' action pic
By Jeff Sneider
After going through a revolving door of leading men, Warner Bros. and Dark Castle are now negotiating with "300" star Gerard Butler to topline Albert Hughes' action pic "Motor City."
Dominic Cooper was originally slated to star before scheduling conflicts forced producers to move on to Jake Gyllenhaal, who had similar issues. After making a failed offer to Jeremy Renner, producers turned to Butler, which leaves the status of Lakeshore Entertainment's diamond heist pic "Brilliant" up in the air. Both "Brilliant" and "Motor City" are expected to start production in June.

If a deal makes, Butler would play a felon who, after being released from prison, begins tracking down the men who framed him. Amber Heard and Gary Oldman are already on board to co-star in the Chad St. John-scripted pic.

Joel Silver is producing through his Dark Castle shingle along with Andrew Rona. Ethan Erwin and Doug Urbanski are exec producing.

Butler, who next stars in Millennium Films' "Playing the Field," recently signed on to star in the company's White House-set action pic "Olympus." He's repped by CAA and Alan Siegel Entertainment.

www.imdb.com/title/tt2012616/
Gary Oldman and Amber Heard already on board


And for those who wish to read the first script draft from some time ago, here it is, thanks to pammibehave !

www.mediafire.com/?hzdd1ydjfqu
(just download, PDF format)

[elenoire]

Thanks Shellie!

www.deadline.com/2012/04/emmettfurla-films-funding-silver-pictures-drama-motor-city-with-gerard-butler/

EXCLUSIVE: Emmett/Furla Films has stepped up and committed to fully finance Motor City, the Albert Hughes-directed action film that stars Gerard Butler as a man who is double crossed, and seeks revenge on the guy who put him behind bars and took his woman. Gary Oldman is aboard to play the villain, and Amber Heard the woman. The film, which has a budget north of $40 million, is now set to begin production in September through EFF and Silver Pictures. Joel Silver and Andrew Rona are producing for Silver Pictures, while Randall Emmett and George Furla board as producers for EFF, along with their funding partners, Envision Entertainment’s Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase. Brandon Grimes is coproducer. Warner Bros will distribute domestically, while foreign rights will be sold at Cannes by Mark Damon and Foresight.

[Fiera]

I wonder if it's too much to ask that they film this *IN* the Motor City.

[Dianne]

Apr 24, 2012 8:03:25 GMT -5 Fiera said:

I wonder if it's too much to ask that they film this *IN* the Motor City.

NO! Berlin, can you believe it. Our Governor did a number on the film industry in Michigan. He totally killed it.

[Fiera]

In my best Braveheart voice: They can take our features but they can never take our webseries!

[elenoire]

www.joblo.com/movie-news/gerard-butler-plans-a-fully-financed-trip-to-motor-city

I'm not sure what the deal is exactly with the lead role in Albert Hughes' MOTOR CITY.

First there was Chris Evans, then Dominic Cooper, then Jake Gyllenhaal, and then possible Jeremy Renner - all rather different options that would each have brought something all their own to the character of "a man who us double crossed and seeks revenge on the guy who put him behind bars and took his woman." But in the end the role has gone to someone else who will also most definitely bring his own thing to the part, that someone else being Gerard Butler.

I have to say, I'm damn glad Butler has finally shifted away from movies like THE UGLY TRUTH and THE BOUNTY HUNTER - I understand that a guy's gotta have fun, but a problem then arises when it's not fun for anyone else. Morally complex action roles seem to be Butler's forte, and this reinvestment in that side if his career is exciting to see.

BROKEN CITY's budget currently stands at $40 million with a planned start month of September, and it's all thanks to the newly-pledged full support of Emmett/Furla Films (THE TOMB, NARC). Amber Heard is still set to play the woman Butler loves and Gary Oldman the villain he hates, which is one showdown which I have no doubt be well worth my money all by itself.

Oh, and have you heard about this girl Amber? She's beautiful and talented. And beautiful. Yeah.

----------------

Regarding the filming location, all these articles mention only the September start, no details about where. The only reference to Berlin was in this article, but it could have changed.

www.deadline.com/2012/03/jake-gyllenhaal-motor-city-dark-castle/

[Dianne]

Apr 24, 2012 10:20:54 GMT -5 elenoire said:

www.joblo.com/movie-news/gerard-butler-plans-a-fully-financed-trip-to-motor-city

I'm not sure what the deal is exactly with the lead role in Albert Hughes' MOTOR CITY.

First there was Chris Evans, then Dominic Cooper, then Jake Gyllenhaal, and then possible Jeremy Renner - all rather different options that would each have brought something all their own to the character of "a man who us double crossed and seeks revenge on the guy who put him behind bars and took his woman." But in the end the role has gone to someone else who will also most definitely bring his own thing to the part, that someone else being Gerard Butler.

I have to say, I'm damn glad Butler has finally shifted away from movies like THE UGLY TRUTH and THE BOUNTY HUNTER - I understand that a guy's gotta have fun, but a problem then arises when it's not fun for anyone else. Morally complex action roles seem to be Butler's forte, and this reinvestment in that side if his career is exciting to see.

BROKEN CITY's budget currently stands at $40 million with a planned start month of September, and it's all thanks to the newly-pledged full support of Emmett/Furla Films (THE TOMB, NARC). Amber Heard is still set to play the woman Butler loves and Gary Oldman the villain he hates, which is one showdown which I have no doubt be well worth my money all by itself.

Oh, and have you heard about this girl Amber? She's beautiful and talented. And beautiful. Yeah.

----------------

Regarding the filming location, all these articles mention only the September start, no details about where. The only reference to Berlin was in this article, but it could have changed.

www.deadline.com/2012/03/jake-gyllenhaal-motor-city-dark-castle/

Thanks Elenoire for clearing that up.

[gersarchitect]

Yes, doesn't look like Berlin is set in stone, yet. It may be in the Midwest after all. If not Detroit, maybe somewhere close that looks similar to Detroit. Just go south a bit, Ohio offers some great incentives still...

www.ohiofilmoffice.com/Incentives.html

Hint, hint, Gerry, do you read this?

[Fiera]

Ohio is not too far from me. I can live with Ohio.

[canadia]

Apr 24, 2012 9:22:37 GMT -5 Fiera said:

In my best Braveheart voice: They can take our features but they can never take our webseries!

LOL Fiera. I don't get it why Berlin? Hughes is from Detroit ain't he? Is Berlin set in stone I wonder.

Have they killed the whole film incentive program then I heard they reduced the money for the program initially? Well by a lot. Did they cut the whole program. Is Hung still shooting in Detroit?

[mak]

Okay, this is one of the few times I think one of the posters on jj has a point:

What's up with hiring an actress to play the lead in the movie who is in her mid-twenties. GB is what 16-17 years older than her, and Gary Oldman is even older. The same thing happened in PTF and also Liam Neeson's Unknown. I know there are plenty more - is this a trend?

It's not that I want to disciminate against actresses in their twenties or say that it's totally unrealistic with the agedifference. But that does not seem to be the motivation IMO. It seems to be about money - because young actresses draw more people to the cinema?

A part of me knows is useless to say that it is morally wrong, and unfair towards female actresses who have the same age as the male leads (that is in their 30's and 40's), as I don't think Hollywood would give a crap about that!

Am I completely wrong here? I would love a discussion about it

[wiclowgb]

I think you are absolutely right, Mak. Who is interested in wife in her best 40, for movies is always better someone at her 20. Hopefully what people see in cinemas wouldn´t implicate to their lifes.These huge age differents are maybe common in Hollywood but not quite often in real life.
But this would be for a longer discussion in blue-box maybe. ;-)

[Dianne]

Apr 25, 2012 13:09:01 GMT -5 mak said:

Okay, this is one of the few times I think one of the posters on jj has a point:

What's up with hiring an actress to play the lead in the movie who is in her mid-twenties. GB is what 16-17 years older than her, and Gary Oldman is even older. The same thing happened in PTF and also Liam Neeson's Unknown. I know there are plenty more - is this a trend?

It's not that I want to disciminate against actresses in their twenties or say that it's totally unrealistic with the agedifference. But that does not seem to be the motivation IMO. It seems to be about money - because young actresses draw more people to the cinema?

A part of me knows is useless to say that it is morally wrong, and unfair towards female actresses who have the same age as the male leads (that is in their 30's and 40's), as I don't think Hollywood would give a crap about that!

Am I completely wrong here? I would love a discussion about it

You know it's always been that way hasn't it. I can see why some of the actresses go off the deep end with cosmetic surgery. To tell you the truth I don't know why more of them don't drop dead with the unrealistic body weight they have to keep. Look at a Meg Ryan she used to be so cute.




Here's more...mostly women, some for the better most for the worst

[gersarchitect]

Unfortunately it is true that male actors usually have a good career going on to their mid to late 40ies while for female actresses their career seems to be over and done by their mid 30ies. Which is a shame. There are so many beautiful great actresses in their 30ies and 40ies out there.... But to Gerry's defense I have to say that more often than not he has age appropriate female co-stars. The only female actress he worked with that really was way younger than him was Emmy Rossum but she had to be that young. In fact in the book the age difference was much bigger even, Erik was in his 50ies with Christine being around 20.

[mak]

Apr 25, 2012 21:35:10 GMT -5 gersarchitect said:

Unfortunately it is true that male actors usually have a good career going on to their mid to late 40ies while for female actresses their career seems to be over and done by their mid 30ies. Which is a shame. There are so many beautiful great actresses in their 30ies and 40ies out there.... But to Gerry's defense I have to say that more often than not he has age appropriate female co-stars. The only female actress he worked with that really was way younger than him was Emmy Rossum but she had to be that young. In fact in the book the age difference was much bigger even, Erik was in his 50ies with Christine being around 20.

I agree with you that when GB himself was in his thirties, his female costars were roughly the same age, but:

Playing the Field: age-difference - 12 years (him and Biel)
Of men and mavericks: age-difference - 12 years (him and Spencer)
And GB produced these films so he picks.
Coriolanus: age-difference - 18 years (Fiennes and Chastain - she also played opposite Pitt who is roughly Fiennes' age)


So it seems to be a recent trend or what? It's not because I want to discriminate - I am 31 myself. I guess I don't blame GB for following the herd. I just think it's a shame. And then again they wouldn't choose an ordinarily-looking actress to play the lead either, so I guess there are many factors that come into play...

And Dianne, Meg Ryan was my big idol. Love her romantic comedies. That is such a shame. It's also absurd to discover how much they retouch pics of models and actress. Even though I know they do it, it still makes me feels bad about myself sometimes that I don't look like that...