• First look into Russell Brand’s Arthur remake (NY Times)
• Darren Aronofsky, David Slade among directors contending to direct Wolverine 2? (Deadline)
• Jonathan Liebesman officially directing Clash of the Titans sequel (Heat Vision)
• Ed Norton Leaves of Grass will see limited released on September 17th (The Playlist)
• Cool movie poster for The Next Three Days starring Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks (The Hitlist)
• George Clooney to direct Farragut North with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Chris Pine? (Vulture)
• John Woo planning to remake French movie Le Samourai as well as his own 1989 Hong Kong police action film The Killer (Variety)
• First look at how ridiculous the $200 million movie Battleship will be (Screencave)

• First look at Uma Thurman in Ceremony (First Showing)
• Marvel’s Runaways set to begin shooting March 2011 (Production Weekly)
• Ridley Scott talks more about his Alien prequel (The Independent)

Set 30 years before the 1979 original, so with no room for Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, the prequels will explore the origins of the deadly aliens. “The film will be really tough, really nasty,” he notes. “It’s the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?”

• The Tree of Life compared to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in early screening (The Playlist)

“Saw TREE OF LIFE the other night at work and it really is amazing. Hypnotic, more like. I won’t give anything about it away here, but yes it is long and there has already been talk in the news about Malick releasing it, then re-cutting it, then re-releasing it, etc.”

• David Slade, Sam Mendes, Gary Ross in contention to direct Lionsgate’s Hunger Games adaptation? (Deadline)

Casting News

• Sylvester McCoy in talks to join The Hobbit (Coming Soon)
• Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper to team up in a buddy cop comedy (Risky Biz)

• Joel David Moore, Chris Carmack, Sinqua Walls, Alyssa Diaz cast in Shark Night 3D (Heat Vision)
• Bryan Cranston to star in indie thriller The Grief Tourist (Variety)
• Luke Wilson, David Morse, Riley Keough cast in Nick Cassavetes’ Yellow. Hank Azaria to make a cameo (Coming Soon)
• Ted Danson, Vinessa Shaw cast in Everybody Loves Whales (THR)
• Monica Belluci cast in Manual of Love 3 with Robert De Niro (Variety)
• Thomas Haden Church, Martin Landau, Ezra Miller cast in wedding comedy The Reasonable Bunch (Variety)
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (aka. JGL JoGo), Scarlett Johansson attached to zombie romantic comedy (??) Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament (Pajiba)

JoJo or Scar-Go?

“Moreover, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson are loosely attached, according to the Hollywood Cog. The movie is a romantic comedy about Andy, a dead man who discovers himself newly re-animated as a mid-aged, decaying zombie who must figure out what it means to live as an Un-dead in a society that denies his kind basic rights.”

• Josie Ho, Chin Han cast in Steven Soderbergh Contagion (Bleeding Cool)
• Jessica McNamee, Scott Speedman cast in Michael Sucsy’s romantic drama The Vow (THR)
• Paula Patton cast in Mission Impossible 4 (Deadline)
• Jon Hamm cast in Jennifer Westfeldt’s Friends with Kids (Showbiz411)
• Emma Bell joins 5nal Destination (JoBlo)
• Liam Neeson to team up with Joe Carnahan again in drama The Grey (Heat Vision)
• James McAvoy, Tom Cruise wanted for Guillermo del Toro’s At The Mountain of Madness (Collider)

Sources have now told us that Universal wants James McAvoy to play the lead in the film, but del Toro wants Tom Cruise to star.  Chris Pine’s name was also being tossed around, but his busy schedule may be too packed.

• Jamie Bell, Anthony McKie join Sam Worthington in Man on a Ledge (Deadline)
• Olivia Thirlby cast in 3D adaptation of Judge Dredd (Variety)
• Tom Hardy replaces Michael Fassbender in Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy (The Daily Mail)
• Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity still looking for its lead actress after Angelina Jolie passed twice on it, Rachel Weisz rumored among many others (The Playlist)

Trailers

• Australian Neo-Western Red Hill (Twitch)
• Norwegian mockumentary Trollhunter (Twitch)
• Wu Ershan’s The Butcher, The Chef & The Swordsman Trailer (Twitch)
• Bob Hoskins, William Dafoe, Jason Flemyng, Talulah Riley join alien invasion movie Transmission (Moviehole)
• Sci-fi Repeaters (HitFix)
• Love and Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway (YouTube)
• Todd Phillips’ Due Date (YouTube)

• Buried international trailer (First Showing)
• Hobo with a Shotgun (AICN)

Weekly Links

• Luke list 25 worthy movie real estate investments (Journalistic Skepticism)
• This Guy is hosting a Chaplin Blogathon, check it out if you are a fan of the all-time great (This Guy Over Here)
• Fletch is hosting another blogathon, the 30 Days of Crazy which focus on movies or characters that are a little coo-coo (Blog Cabins)
• The Top 50 music videos of the 1990′s (Pitchfork)
• Michael Cera is Buster Keaton (Celebrity Gossip, Academic Style)

Previous Pitches:

• Andrew Robinson’s “Untitled Joss Whedon Project“
• Anna’s “Truth and Lies”
• Novroz’s “Sunset Mystery“
• Kai’s “The Time Jumper“
• Peter’s “Untitled Hallstrӧm Project“
• Marc’s “Once Upon a Time in Z-West“
• Next: Castor on Monday

Possible Title: Hearts Want

Tagline

In the crossroads of love and life, the choices are never easy.

Themes

Past sins, true love, second chances, lawlessness, temptation, forgiveness, and making tough choices under seemingly impossible circumstances.

Genre

Romantic Thriller

Setting

London, Scotland, France

Overview

Spencer, a retired MI-5 agent currently working as a forensic professor is reeled back into his old world when his estranged son’s fiancee is suddenly gone missing. Thinking that solving the case might be the key to winning back his son’s trust, he vows to do whatever it takes to help solve the case. The prime suspect of the case is Dylan Ferrars, whose mother is Spencer’s former lover Olivia, owner of the multibillion-dollar Ferrars empire. Dark secrets and past sins are quickly revealed as people’s lives are entangled in ways no one ever expected. As the case reaches a boiling point, everyone involved must make some difficult choices under seemingly impossible circumstances.

Logline

I always like thrillers that have love stories at the heart of it. I like Ridley Scott’s work and this one appeals to his softer side while still incorporate his knack for suspense n action. It’ll be set in his native London with a moody almost melancholy but gritty atmosphere. The actors I’ve chosen will play roles they’re not normally associated with and I also like to see a couple of mature thespians at the core of the story, hence my pick of Mirren n Dalton.

Cast of Characters (detailed description to come)

• Timothy Dalton: Spencer Wesford (62)
• Helen Mirren: Olivia Ferrars (58)
• Cate Blanchett: Julienne Ferrars (37)
• James McAvoy: Dylan Ferrars (31)
• Gerard Butler: Jacob Wesford (39)
• Eva Green: Alexa Noble (30)
• Lee Pace: Detective Sean Leigh (33)
• Daniel Henney: Detective Darren Sun (32)

Additional Cast (cameos)

• Michael Gambon: Edgar Ferrars (Olivia’s father)
• Julia Ormond: Magdalene Wesford (Spencer’s late wife)

My director pick is Ridley Scott. I need someone who can create a solid thriller but with heart. Known for his sweeping landscapes and cinematography, the contemporary European setting would look stunning visually under his direction. According to IMDb, Ridley usually casts / works with actors who have a strong theater background and are graduates of drama schools. Hence my choice for a leading man...
Timothy Dalton as Spencer Wesford: 62-years old, 6’2”, dark haired with green eyes, with a permanent five-o’clock shadow. Still maintain a lean figure as he jogs daily and does boxing workouts in his basement. Smokes pipe occasionally and drinks only Whisky or Scotch. Speaks French and German from his MI-5 training, was one of the best agents until he retires over two decades ago when his wife Maggie died in a car accident. Drives a black 1999 Range Rover, as he’s sworn off German cars as his wife died when he was driving his Audi S4. A man of refined taste, Spencer dresses well, wears tailored suits and Burberry shoes. Though he’s still as dashing as ever, even Darren’s female colleagues have the hots for Spencer, he hasn’t been with a woman ever since Maggie died. He’s still too heartbroken over her death and the loss of relationship with his only son. But Maggie isn’t the only love he’s lost. Just five years before his wife died, Spencer had a brief but torrid affair with Olivia, which he ended abruptly within a year.
Helen Mirren as Olivia Ferrars. The heir of a billion-dollar empire, the 58-year-old takes over the powerful Ferrars enterprise after her younger brother died of MS. Once married to a man she didn't love to honor her father's wishes, but divorced him as soon as her father died. In her 30s had a brief but torrid affair with Spencer, then a young detective who's assigned to probe into her family's ties to drug cartels/diamond smugglers. Olivia is a patron of the arts and active in the Ferrars' philanthropic endeavors and often hosts charity galas and fund-raising efforts for her many charitable foundations. She does all this partly out of guilt as she's well aware of her enterprise's carefully-concealed unlawful activities that is now carried on expanded under her ruthless son's rule.
James McAvoy as Dylan Ferrars: 31-year-old youngest son of Olivia and Spencer. Handsomely-boyish looking, soft-spoken and well-mannered, Dylan may seem like the perfect son and role model for any wealthy family. He always excels at school, doesn't party endlessly or do drugs, and not only diligently working to advance his family business but also have time to accompany his mother to charity events. But deep down Dylan is as merciless and fiercely-ambitious like his grandfather, able to pull off the two-faced trick seamlessly and without remorse. He could be giving a speech at an earthquake benefit one minute, and the next he'd authorize to have someone who gets in his way killed or tortured.
Gerard Butler as Jacob Wesford: Spencer's 39-year old estranged son who hasn't spoken to his father pretty much since his mother died. Despite being a college-dropout, his savvy business sense and popularity help him become a successful club owner and restaurateur. He owns five clubs and a few elite restaurants in the UK, which Dylan Ferrars often use for business dealings and to ‘entertain’ their hoodlum guests. He’s always been a rebel, but his Godly mother was somehow able to reign him in. Of course that’s all changed with her passing. He's constantly angry with God and blames his dad for her death, but when he misses her the most, he’d drive to the local church where she used to go and just sits there for hours. That's when he meets Alexa.
Cate Blanchett as Julienne Ferrars: Olivia's 37 year-old daughter from her first marriage who doesn't get along with her mother and brother. She's never been married as the men she's been with are either spoiled rich boys, or the opposite, they're after her family's money. She's devastated by the divorce as she was her father's favorite and sensed that her mother never loved him. She shuns being a member of the Ferrars family for its deceitful nature, and prefers live in an understated condo in the outskirt of London and works as a part-time nurse.
Eva Green as Alexa Noble: 30-year-old French-English girl who's engaged to Jacob whose disappearance propels a series of events in the movie. She’s a natural beauty, even in her plain clothes of mostly long sweaters and skinny jeans, her black hair against piercing green eyes are striking. Alexa is adopted by a couple of missionaries when she was in her late teens when her parents are killed by a drunk driver. She's an accomplished pianist who's a member of the London Community Orchestra but dedicates her spare time volunteering at her church, which happens to be the same small church Jacob's mother attended. That's when she met Jacob, who quickly falls for her. Within 4 months of their whirlwind courtship, Jacob proposes to Alexa, as he can’t imagine even a day without her. Alexa would only marry him on one condition; that is if he quits his party-boy lifestyle.
Lee Pace as Sean Leigh: the young detective assigned to the case of Alexa's disappearance. The bright and spirited young man was one of Spencer's most gifted student at the University, who now sees Spencer as his father figure and friend. In a way he's like a son to Spencer who grieves for his own long lost son Jacob. They see other every weekend playing chess or going to orchestra performances together as they share a love of classical music. Spencer is also Sean's mentor, as he'd always consult with Spencer because of his extensive MI-5 background and expertise in forensic science.
Daniel Henney as Darren Sun: Sean's detective partner. An equally gifted and ambitious detective, Darren's been friends with Sean since they joined the force together. In fact, one of Sean's sister once dated him in college. The Korean-English looker is a fitness buff and pro-triathlete who makes him extremely popular with the ladies. He's also a skilled empathic communication with a deft attention to detail, which makes him a skillful detective. Has just been married recently and is expecting his first child.

Backstory

This movie is more of an ensemble-cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. But at the core of the story is Spencer because a lot of the events has to do with a dark past he’s been trying to put behind him. Spencer retired from MI-5 soon after his wife’s death in a car accident 25 years ago, and has taken up a job as a forensic professor in the past 15 years. His quiet life is suddenly turned upside down when his long-estranged son Jacob’s fiancee is suddenly missing. In the hope of regaining his son’s trust, he vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

The case puts him back in the path of his former lover Olivia, whom he had an affair with 30 years ago. The affair lasted nearly a year, but Spencer ended it abruptly out of his conscience. Unbeknownst to Spencer, Olivia became pregnant with Dylan but she decided not to tell Spencer as she found out just as he ended their affair. She never quite get over Spencer and always hope they’d be reconciled one day.

Five years after the affair, Olivia inherited the corporation when her father died (her brother succumbed to MS, which made her the sole heir to her family’s empire). The Ferrars may appear as renowned philanthropists with all the charity and foundations benefiting the poor and the sick, but under wraps they’re a ruthless and nefarious corporation with countless illegal activities. In fact, it was during an investigation into her empire’s alleged dealings with the South American drug cartels as well as ties with Sierra Leone diamond smugglers that Spencer first had an encounter with Olivia. The investigation was fruitless given that the Ferrars had the power to cover up and throw away all kinds of evidence. As the future heir to the Ferrars’ fortune, Dylan is even more ruthless than his grandfather, and even though Olivia had become troubled by her son’s wickedness, she’s powerless to stop it.

In a bizarre turn of events, Jacob and Dylan’s path crossed 30 years later as business partners. Though he was a high school dropout, Jacob managed to work his way up to become a successful club owner and restaurateur. Dylan often uses Jacob’s clubs to entertain his high-powered clients and business associates, and though Jacob isn’t involved in the dealings, he turns a blind eye on the illegal activities.

Julienne is Dylan’s sister who’s sort of the ‘black sheep’ of the family as she not only doesn’t get along with her mother and brother, she never participates in her family’s events and charity functions. Deep down Julienne resents the two-faced nature of her family and finds that money and power is corrupting her family. She has never been married as she never loved the men she had been with, they were all spoiled, rich boys Olivia deemed ‘perfect’ for her daughter. In the past few months, Julienne starts a love affair with a young detective Sean and she’s been feeding tips about the drug cartels and diamond smuggling her own family’s involved in. At first, she was ‘using’ Sean to rebel against everything her mother’s warned her against, knowing that she would never approve of her marrying someone of such a lesser stature and economic level. But then Julienne ends up falling in love with Sean, and for the first time in her life, she finds a real reason for living. Sean happens to be Spencer’s protege who was his former professor at the U and he’s been telling Spencer of his new love, though he cannot reveal her name out of his promise to Julienne. Sean is like a son to Spencer, as he’s pretty much lost Jacob at the same time his wife died.

The set up

ACT 1

The first 10-15 minutes of the movie shows a slice of six lives that’s about to collide.

Opening sequence of the movie opens with scenes of a day-in-the-life of Spencer in the outskirts of London with Philip Glass’ score is playing in the background. The aging widower lives a quiet, regimented life — wakes up in the early hours to jog, followed by boxing in his basement and then breakfast as he reads his paper. His watch beeps; he grabs his jacket and drives to a nearby park. It’s Saturday morning, which means chess game with Sean. Sean buys Spencer coffee and treats, obvious he’s in a good mood. He tells Spencer about this new girl he met and he’s giddy like a schoolboy. He can’t reveal who she is as she made him promise not to because of her famous family.

It’s night time at one of Jacob’s swanky clubs.  Love is in the air also for Spencer’s estranged son, who’s on the brink of a new life. He’s newly engaged to Alexa, ending his stint as London’s ‘most eligible bachelor’. He’s telling one of his buddies that he’s got to be home by midnight, which is unheard of for the ultimate party boy and ladies man who usually goes home with a different girl every night. But tonight is different and he’s a new man now, he says, he’s done sowing his wild oats. Next scene shows them in his bed together but they’re not making love. Alexa refuses to do that until they’re married, and Jacob respects that out of her love for her… something he has never done before given that a rich playboy like him usually sleeps with women within hours of meeting them. But Jacob is tired of frivolous sexual escapades that always leave him empty and lonely, so he’s happy even just kissing and gazing lovingly at Alexa’s beautiful face and just talk to each other until they both fall asleep.

Olivia and Dylan at their elite fund-raising event for MS (the organization Olivia is active at in honor of her dead brother). Shows Olivia giving a speech, toasting her son for her charity effort and generous giving to a recent earthquake victims, etc. Snippets of the guests questioning why the Ferrars’ daughter is nowhere to be found as usual… accusing her of not being as charitable as the rest of her family. Moments later shows Dylan on the phone ordering someone tortured/killed as he refused to do something he asked for.

Julienne camping with Sean, blissfully happy being in love. They’re talking about going on a week-long road trip together in Sean’s beat up Jeep Cherokee. He’s teasing her about maybe borrowing one of Dylan’s Maseratis and see if he’d even notice and Julienne scoffs at the idea of using any of Dylan’s preposterous ‘toys’. Her disdain for his brother is apparent.

ACT 2

Shown in flashback mode: Jacob and Alexa are in a restaurant and Dylan came over to their table. The conversation heated up when Dylan made a remark about Alexa being one of his conquests. In the heat of the moment, Jacob threw his champagne at him and tells him Dylan and his guests are no longer welcome at his club. Dylan’s men almost shoots Jacob before Alexa begs Dylan’s forgiveness as she helps dry him off with a napkin. Dylan wipes off his face and says, ‘you’ll be sorry for this!’ before storming off.

The thing is, when you deal with someone like Dylan and his vicious cohorts, there is no turning back. Dylan and his friends think that Jacob knew to much to simply walk away and so they plan on killing him. One night on his way home from his club Jacob’s car is followed by Dylan’s men. A car chase ensues and Jacob is shot in the shoulder and he hits a median, sending him into intensive care, but he survives. Spencer and Alexa visit him in the hospital but Jacob’s still unconscious.

Fast forward a few days later… Spencer is at the U talking with some students about midterm when his cell rings and he immediately leaves. That’s Jacob, calling his father out of desperation to tell him Alexa is missing. That is the first time in over a decade that Jacob is speaking to his father. As Spencer is driving, Sean calls and tells him he and his partner Darren have been assigned to the case. Because of Jacob’s call to the Police station that Dylan is the perpetrator of Alexa’s disappearance and his car crash , the detectives pay Dylan a visit for questioning but they can’t arrest him as there is no evidence of his involvement.

Two days later Spencer receives a note on his front door with the initial OF, saying “I have to see you and I can help.” with an address in a villa south of Scotland. Spencer knows immediately whose name is on the card and the exact location, because that’s the place they’d go for their rendezvous 30 years ago. Thinking that Olivia is in a position to help, Spencer had no choice but to agree to meet her. Though he had left her, deep down Spencer still have feelings for Olivia, but he’s adamant not to let that affect him. The second they meet, Spencer immediately cut to the chase and confronts Olivia if her son was indeed involved in this matter and Olivia rebuffs it, saying that they may have done a lot of bad things but kidnapping isn’t one of them. She assures Spencer that if she knows anything, she’d be more than happy to help. The two spend the whole day together—biking in a Scottish moor, strolling in a small town nearby, etc.—reminiscing on the past the shared together, and Spencer’s heart is softened as the wall he’s been building comes down that night. As they hold hands over coffee, Olivia comes close to telling him about Dylan but Jacob has to leave immediately back to the city. Olivia is hopeful that her dreams of rekindling their romance is about to come true.

Jacob regains his consciousness and he is adamant to help with the investigation of the case, even offers to share everything he knows to bring down Dylan and his associates. This puts Jacob in even more danger, and he risks of losing everything he has built as in the course of one week, his clubs have been the subject of arsons (done stealthily by Dylan’s men). At this point, all Jacob cares about is finding Alexa alive.

Meanwhile, Julienne confronts her brother and pleads him to release Alexa if he indeed has her. Dylan shoots back at her saying that he knows she has been seeing the same detective assigned to the case and warns her it won’t end well if she continues to do so. Julienne tells him to leave him alone and says that Sean is only doing his job, to which Dylan replies that he’s doing the same thing, and that is to sustain the well-being of their family business. “But at what cost, Dylan?” Julienne responds, and the scene ends with her saying, “I’m sorry to see what you have become.”

Act 3

Spencer visits Jacob at the hospital on the day of his release. The two hardly speak to each other, there is still so much pain between them but this time Jacob doesn’t tell Spencer to leave. Jacob’s friends want to drive him home but Spencer convinces his son to stay with him to ensure his safety. He can protect Jacob because of his MI-5 backgrounds and reluctantly, Jacob agrees, at least until his arm heals. Slowly Jacob opens up to his father as the two share a house together. Spencer is ecstatic of this second chance, but he also realizes he can never see Olivia again or risk losing Jacob forever.

It’s day 11 of Alexa’s disappearance and Jacob is losing patience on the way the investigation is going. Despite all the suspicion, there is lack of evidence to pine the case on Dylan. Jacob pleads his father to do go after Dylan as he’s convinced they’re simply so powerful that the authorities can’t touch them. Spencer initially refused, saying that he cannot interfere with police business, but seeing his son’s desperation, he simply cannot refuse him. Besides, they both realize that Dylan is guilty of all kinds of criminal activities he’s been involved in, regardless of whether the Police can link those back to him. Spencer takes Jacob to visit Sean and asks him for help. Sean realizes he’s risking his career and all he’s worked for if he agrees, but at the same time he is loyal to Spencer. Suddenly Julienne shows up, much to Spencer’s shock, but Sean assures them she is not a mole but she is in fact been trying to finally bring her own brother to justice. Julienne tips everyone that every year Dylan hosts a party at one of their mansions in France, which is also one of the location of his money laundering factory. It’ll be the perfect time for a bust as all of Dylan’s powerful associates will also be there.

On the eve of the plan of a shakedown, Spencer receives a call from Olivia. She tells him she has stage 4 breast cancer, and she only have weeks left to live. She pleads for Spencer to visit her at her private clinic. Spencer can’t simply refuse her now, and on her death bed, she finally reveals the truth about Dylan, much to Spencer’s shock and anguish. Olivia asks Spencer to go easy on his son, knowing that sooner or later he will be caught. She also confesses that she knows of all the illegal activities that Dylan is doing, but that there is nothing she can do about it. Spencer says there is and there is only one way to make things right, even if that means making the most difficult decision in their lives.

Act 4

Sean manages to convince his partner Darren, as well as several detectives and special forces to help with the bust. After a brief shootout, they’re able to arrest most of the criminals but Dylan escapes with his right hand man. Sean is able to shoot Dylan’s protector though he is wounded in the process, but Dylan manages to get into his Maserati and drives off. Jacob grabs Sean’s gun and runs after Dylan in one of the detectives’ car. Within minutes Spencer is on their tail, fearing his worst that his two sons will try to kill each other. As Dylan is not a very experienced driver, having been chauffeured all his life, Jacob has no trouble catching up with him. He hits Dylan’s car and finally able to corner him. Jacob pulls a gun on him, telling him to get out. He threatens to shoot if he doesn’t reveal where Alexa is. Dylan says if he kills him, he will never find Alexa again. Jacob just about to pull the trigger when Spencer yells that Dylan is his brother. As Jacob is distracted, Dylan starts the ignition and drives away.

Final Act

As he arrives in his house, Olivia is waiting for him in her wheelchair. She’s wearing a wig as she’s undergoing chemo. She tells him that her last wish is for his favorite son to do one selfless act before she dies. Dylan’s heartbroken seeing her mother so fragile, and he finally confesses. The night Jacob is in the hospital, Alexa paid him a visit and offered to leave Jacob forever in exchange for his life. He makes Dylan promise not to hurt Jacob if she left the country. He had one of his men followed her to make sure he knows her whereabouts as he planned on killing Jacob anyway and made it look like an accident.

Unbeknownst to his son, Olivia is wearing a wire and Spencer heard the whole thing. Within minutes the whole place is surrounded and Dylan is finally arrested. Jacob is reunited with Alexa in France, whilst Olivia spends her last weeks of her life with the man she loves.

Epilogue

At Olivia’s funeral, Jacob is shown hugging Spencer, with Alexa by his side. Julienne and Sean who’s still in crutches are there as well, and they’re now engaged. It’s a bittersweet moment for Spencer as he’s finally reconciled with his son again, and he hopes that one day he’ll do the same with Dylan.

My director pick is Ridley Scott. I need someone who can create a solid thriller but with heart. Known for his sweeping landscapes and cinematography, the contemporary European setting would look stunning visually under his direction. According to IMDb, Ridley usually casts / works with actors who have a strong theater background and are graduates of drama schools. Hence my choice for a leading man…
Timothy Dalton as Spencer Wesford: 62-years old, 6’2”, dark haired with green eyes, with a permanent five-o’clock shadow. Still maintain a lean figure as he jogs daily and does boxing workouts in his basement. Smokes pipe occasionally and drinks only Whisky or Scotch. Speaks French and German from his MI-5 training, was one of the best agents until he retires over two decades ago when his wife Maggie died in a car accident. Drives a black 1999 Range Rover, as he’s sworn off German cars as his wife died when he was driving his Audi S4. A man of refined taste, Spencer dresses well, wears tailored suits and Burberry shoes. Though he’s still as dashing as ever, even Darren’s female colleagues have the hots for Spencer, he hasn’t been with a woman ever since Maggie died. He’s still too heartbroken over her death and the loss of relationship with his only son. But Maggie isn’t the only love he’s lost. Just five years before his wife died, Spencer had a brief but torrid affair with Olivia, which he ended abruptly within a year.
Helen Mirren as Olivia Ferrars. The heir of a billion-dollar empire, the 58-year-old takes over the powerful Ferrars enterprise after her younger brother died of MS. Once married to a man she didn’t love to honor her father’s wishes, but divorced him as soon as her father died. In her 30s had a brief but torrid affair with Spencer, then a young detective who’s assigned to probe into her family’s ties to drug cartels/diamond smugglers. Olivia is a patron of the arts and active in the Ferrars’ philanthropic endeavors and often hosts charity galas and fund-raising efforts for her many charitable foundations. She does all this partly out of guilt as she’s well aware of her enterprise’s carefully-concealed unlawful activities that is now carried on expanded under her ruthless son’s rule.
James McAvoy as Dylan Ferrars: 31-year-old youngest son of Olivia and Spencer. Handsomely-boyish looking, soft-spoken and well-mannered, Dylan may seem like the perfect son and role model for any wealthy family. He always excels at school, doesn’t party endlessly or do drugs, and not only diligently working to advance his family business but also have time to accompany his mother to charity events. But deep down Dylan is as merciless and fiercely-ambitious like his grandfather, able to pull off the two-faced trick seamlessly and without remorse. He could be giving a speech at an earthquake benefit one minute, and the next he’d authorize to have someone who gets in his way killed or tortured.
Gerard Butler as Jacob Wesford: Spencer’s 39-year old estranged son who hasn’t spoken to his father pretty much since his mother died. Despite being a college-dropout, his savvy business sense and popularity help him become a successful club owner and restaurateur. He owns five clubs and a few elite restaurants in the UK, which Dylan Ferrars often use for business dealings and to ‘entertain’ their hoodlum guests. He’s always been a rebel, but his Godly mother was somehow able to reign him in. Of course that’s all changed with her passing. He’s constantly angry with God and blames his dad for her death, but when he misses her the most, he’d drive to the local church where she used to go and just sits there for hours. That’s when he meets Alexa.
Cate Blanchett as Julienne Ferrars: Olivia’s 37 year-old daughter from her first marriage who doesn’t get along with her mother and brother. She’s never been married as the men she’s been with are either spoiled rich boys, or the opposite, they’re after her family’s money. She’s devastated by the divorce as she was her father’s favorite and sensed that her mother never loved him. She shuns being a member of the Ferrars family for its deceitful nature, and prefers live in an understated condo in the outskirt of London and works as a part-time nurse.
Eva Green as Alexa Noble: 30-year-old French-English girl who’s engaged to Jacob whose disappearance propels a series of events in the movie. She’s a natural beauty, even in her plain clothes of mostly long sweaters and skinny jeans, her black hair against piercing green eyes are striking. Alexa is adopted by a couple of missionaries when she was in her late teens when her parents are killed by a drunk driver. She’s an accomplished pianist who’s a member of the London Community Orchestra but dedicates her spare time volunteering at her church, which happens to be the same small church Jacob’s mother attended. That’s when she met Jacob, who quickly falls for her. Within 4 months of their whirlwind courtship, Jacob proposes to Alexa, as he can’t imagine even a day without her. Alexa would only marry him on one condition; that is if he quits his party-boy lifestyle.
Lee Pace as Sean Leigh: the young detective assigned to the case of Alexa’s disappearance. The bright and spirited young man was one of Spencer’s most gifted student at the University, who now sees Spencer as his father figure and friend. In a way he’s like a son to Spencer who grieves for his own long lost son Jacob. They see other every weekend playing chess or going to orchestra performances together as they share a love of classical music. Spencer is also Sean’s mentor, as he’d always consult with Spencer because of his extensive MI-5 background and expertise in forensic science.
Daniel Henney as Darren Sun: Sean’s detective partner. An equally gifted and ambitious detective, Darren’s been friends with Sean since they joined the force together. In fact, one of Sean’s sister once dated him in college. The Korean-English looker is a fitness buff and pro-triathlete who makes him extremely popular with the ladies. He’s also a skilled empathic communication with a deft attention to detail, which makes him a skillful detective. Has just been married recently and is expecting his first child.

Previous Pitches:

• Andrew Robinson’s “Untitled Joss Whedon Project“
• Anna’s “Truth and Lies”
• Novroz’s “Sunset Mystery“
• Kai’s “The Time Jumper“
• Peter’s “Untitled Hallstrӧm Project“
• Next: Ruth on Sunday

TITLE: “Once Upon a Time in Z-West“

BASIC IDEA

Time traveling scientists have gone back to the old west to work on weapons for the future and to win WWII. When their secret biological weapon escapes, the local town becomes a zombie nightmare causing the residents and scientists to make a last stand.

PITCH

A time traveling, quasi sci-fi Western with Zombies. Equal parts Open Range, Dawn of the Dead, The Thing and The Terminator..

Edward Zwick – Director

Kevin Costner – Clint Matthews (local Sheriff)

Djimon Hounsou – John Henry (Owner of rail working company)

Val Kilmer – James Clifton (train conductor stopping in town helping lay new rail lines)

Mark Strong – Richard Helmsworth (school teacher who previously served in the Army)

Michelle Yeoh – Zao Ziyi (jaded owner of the local opium den…was daughter of exiled imperial guard from the forbidden city)

Mélanie Laurent – Getta Rienhart (unassuming Nazi scientist)

Philip Seymour Hoffman – Gregor (Scientist #1)

Sebastian Koch – Anton (Scientist #2)

BACK STORY

The time is close to the end of WWII but the war is still far from over. Germany is beginning to sustain the first of heavy Allied bombings. 3 Nazi scientists are nearly finished with their 10 year R&D project: ability to generate a worm hole for time travel. These scientists have been assembled by some of the highest (but less insane) minds of the Hitler’s cabinet of advisers. Their project will, if all succeeds as planned, allow those three scientists to travel back to the 19th century and begin work on three new projects that will (if the current events are still unavoidable) swing the war in Germany’s favor. Their 3 agendas have little to do with one another but even if none of them succeed, the knowledge of the future events will give the Third Reich the upper hand for years to come.

ACT I

The three scientists travel back 75 years and travel to Arizona and start their testing in areas like paranormal research, learning Navajo to understand the Windtalkers code during the war and the research lifesaving medicine (with a secret agenda to develop a super soldier serum). In an abandoned coal mine they set up a lab and start research. A mining blast releases the serum and it causes 2 of 3 scientists to become zombies.

ACT II

The townsfolk are introduced and the happenings of the town include a rail line going through the old coal mines of the near by box canyon, a Calvary regiment is stopping through town on their way to an outpost fort that is under construction, and many, many laborers have been called to the town to finish the rail line which will connect with a rail line coming from California. People start to be attacked by the Zombies and their numbers grow. One person is brought to a doctor after escaping an attack and the townsfolk are quickly infected by the approaching horde. The surviving scientist makes her way back to the cave (unaware of any of this) only to find the horror of what happened and goes to seek help.

ACT III

She makes it to town but it is like a living nightmare. She finds the Sheriff trying to rescue people and tries to tell him who she really is and that she’s partly responsible for this. Though he doesn’t believe her he can’t ignore what’s going on and so nearly every capable rail worker is now deputized. Many of the characters above start to reveal some exemplary traits and a rescue of surviving townsfolk is being attempted. Also in a random act of luck it is discovered how to take down the Zombies (who in this story we’re calling Victims). But still with guns of that time, head shots aren’t that easy. Chaos ensues and the townsfolk use everything from tools to TNT to the Army Cavalry’s Howitzer machine gun to take out the Victims. Many are killed (both people and Victims), some townsfolk are able to escape to safety and the film concludes with the sheriff and the town teacher on a suicide mission to lure many Victims to the coal mine. As this is happening, the train conductor and rail company owner attempt to slam the locomotive into the entry of the mine. If it works ti will killing those Victims aboard the train as the train is filled with TNT. The blast and resulting shock wave should set off the TNT in the cave collapsing the tunnels in the canyon walls. Story ends and the very few survivors (no main characters) never ever tell what happened.

Epilogue

Now here’s the one up at the ending…sort of a twist if you will. Years later, (in the beginning of the end credits) we see newspaper headlines reading WWII has begun and WWII follows an unaltered path playing out as fated. New headlines show that WWII has ended and after H-Bomb testing in the deserts of Nevada (just miles from the events of the Arizona town) there are stories and reports of strange man-like creatures roaming the deserts. Cannibals thought to be the results of Nuclear testing really are the “Victims” who made it out of the mine…but more headlines reading that this has been disregarded as just a hoax. Full End Credits.

Previous Pitches:

• Andrew Robinson’s “Untitled Joss Whedon Project“
• Anna’s “Truth and Lies”
• Novroz’s “Sunset Mystery“
• Kai’s “The Time Jumper“
• Next: Marc on Saturday

Pitch for “Untitled Hallstrӧm Project”

By Peter Eramo, Jr. of Magic Lantern Film Blog

Director: Lasse Hallstrom

LOGLINE

A family drama that examines the reuniting of sorts between Lenny, an aging father (who suddenly finds himself a widower) and his youngest son Frankie (a troubled single man in his mid 30’s), who is just beginning to put his life together after making some harmful mistakes in his past. Frankie talks his reluctant father into going on a journey that takes them across the States and into Europe – with the two growing to understand and appreciate one another as they never have before. We watch Lenny try to simultaneously cope with his heart-breaking loss and the introduction of Aniseh, a divorcee, who shows great compassion for him. Trouble awaits the two however, when they return home.

BACKGROUND INFO

I understand that this material does not make for a thrilling summer blockbuster film. But that is not what this movie is. As a producer or director, I would personally want to produce/direct the films that would interest me as a movie-goer. I’m not so interested in CGI or explosions…3D extravaganzas or superhero flick budgets. I am interested in quality…in a well-crafted story with terrific performances, where complex characters communicate and interact with one another and are forced to make difficult decisions. To me, that is high drama. This should be a poignant family drama – and I have secured the ideal director to bring his sure and subtle hand to this project, Swedish filmmaker, Lasse Hallstrӧm (My Life as A Dog, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, and Once Around).

THE CAST & MAIN CHARACTERS

	Al Pacino: Plays Lenny Gravini, a man in his late 60’s who has just lost his wife of over 40 years and now does not know what to do with himself. A blue-collar worker all his life, Lenny was a strong provider for his family…a good husband and father. The film is centered on him (it’s a vehicle written with Pacino in mind) – how he deals with the complicated relationships he has with his three sons (with Frankie, in particular), the loss of the only woman he has ever truly known, and the all of the new components that are suddenly introduced into his life.
	Adrien Brody: Plays Frankie, the youngest of 3 sons to Lenny and Renata. Frankie has always been smart, but never did things the conventional way. He dropped out of college, started working at a job he hated – and was arrested for stealing money. He spent some time in prison and is seen as the “black sheep” of the family, though his heart is usually in the right place. Now, he lives in a small apartment by himself, working a modest clerical job and putting the pieces of his life back together. He is quiet, but dynamic.
	Jessica Lange: Ms. Lange plays Renata, Lenny’s wife who has died of cancer at the film’s opening. Scenes with her are shown throughout the film (1) in flashbacks and (2) when Lenny speaks to her ghost in present time. Renata was a loving housewife and mother, but had a severe anxiety disorder and wrestled with own mental demons, causing much angst and torment to the four Gravini men.
	Billy Crudup: Joseph has a snooty wife and two small kids of his own. He is a success in the financial industry and does very well for himself. Joseph has outward resentment towards his dead mother and stopped feeling bad for his father a long time ago. He seemingly wants nothing to do with his brothers or his father and when Frankie goes to him for help or advice, he is reluctant to give either.
	Sanaa Lathan: Plays Frankie’s girlfriend, Dalanie. She is a free spirit and loves Frankie very much, accepting him wholly, warts and all. She gives Frankie the room he needs when he takes to traveling with his father, but meets up with the two later. She has yet to meet any member of Frankie’s family and when she finally meets Lenny, she handles his old-fashioned racist views with grace, understanding and an open heart.
	Shohreh Aghdashloo: Along their travels, Lenny and Frankie stumble on Aniseh, a divorcee who is on vacation by herself. She and Lenny strike up a conversation and instantly take a liking to each other, though Lenny is completely out of practice in the art of speaking to single women. Aniseh is a cultured, worldly, strong and intelligent woman. She is independent and works as a high-powered executive in a highly reputable marketing firm. She is beautiful and mysterious and throws Lenny completely off guard.

THEMES

The central themes that the film touches upon are: family, coping with death, second chances, issues of race, love, loyalty, and experiencing new/wondrous encounters.

PLOT BREAKDOWN

ACT ONE

We open on Frankie (Brody) and his daily life – frustrated working a futile job in a cubicle, meeting with his parole officer at a local coffee shop, coming home to his small and unimpressive apartment. He is in the midst of trying to put his life back together. The only true happiness we see in him is when he is with his girlfriend, Dalanie (Lathan). They have a quiet dinner together and we see them together in bed. They speak of their future(s) and family, a subject that Frankie tiptoes around a bit. Dalanie is bright-eyed and optimistic – she wants Frankie forever, warts and all. They make love before turning in for the night. The following morning, Frankie is getting ready for work. It is very early and he is half-awake. Dalanie is still in bed, though awake as she converses with him. The phone rings. It is Lenny, Frankie’s father. He has called to tell Frankie that his mother has passed away. Frankie is paralyzed with shock.

The wake and the funeral of Renata Gravini. The main focus is on Lenny (Pacino), trying his hardest to get through it all. He is frozen and numb, looking older than he really is. Some relatives and neighbors pay their respects; he remains quiet & polite throughout, unsure of how to act. Lenny’s oldest son is apparently too far away and too busy to attend the funeral of his own mother (though sends a nice flower arrangement in his absence). Joseph (Crudup), the middle son, is there with his wife and 2 small kids (Lenny’s grandkids). Joseph is brusque and unsympathetic; he and his family can’t wait to get back into the car and back on the road. Frankie is not there for the wake – and shows up by himself at the funeral, but remains off in the distance. Lenny notices him from afar…and he is glad.

The aftermath of the funeral and Lenny at home. He is alone now for the first time in his life. He and Frankie have a talk – just small talk as both don’t really know what to say. Frankie is very compassionate, but not sure what to say/how to act. Lenny assures his youngest son that he is ok (he is lying) and Frankie goes. The next scenes are of Lenny completely helpless in an eerily empty house: making tuna sandwiches for dinner and eating quietly by himself, not knowing how to do his own laundry, watching TV in silence just for something to do, seeing mail made out to his deceased wife, cleaning the house in an awkward fashion, etc. Flashbacks of Renata (Lange) also take place here and we see Lenny having conversations with his dead wife in the empty house. Frankie calls to check in on him – he says he is fine. However, little by little he is letting himself go. He doesn’t know what to do with himself.

Late one night, Lenny impulsively gets into his car and drives. He drives quite a way and pulls up to Frankie’s apartment complex, but sees that it is late and decides not to go up to his door. He tries to get comfortable and passes out for the night. Early the next morning, Frankie notices his father’s car – approaches it and sees his father asleep. He taps lightly on the window and realizes the state his own father is in. Frankie knows that his father needs his help. He invites him in to his home.

ACT TWO

SEEING THE STATES!!! This act focuses on Lenny & Frankie travelling the country. Lenny has never been anywhere and never really seen anything in the world. The two speak of always wanting to go to Cooperstown together (they share a love for baseball), but never did because of Renata. Renata and her disorders always kept Lenny from doing much of anything in his life and Frankie sees this as a new beginning. On the morning Frankie sees his father sleeping in his car, he very hastily decides to take his father to Cooperstown for a couple of days (he calls his work for the time off). From Cooperstown, the feeling is contagious and before they know it, the two are travelling to various landmark locations across the country – Lenny is living a new life and the two are certainly bonding throughout. Frankie checks in with Dalanie sporadically and Renata is still making her ghost-like appearances, though the mood grows more upbeat throughout. Lenny and Frankie see Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, National Parks, a baseball game in Los Angeles; they go to Washington DC and even Disney World! The two touch on many subjects and become best friends in a way. Frankie speaks of his relationship with Dalanie, but neglects to mention that she is black. It is important that we see Lenny being somewhat uncomfortable at the beginning of this journey and feeling a bit guilty, but slowly opening up and enjoying himself as time goes on. After a couple of weeks, the two return home.

Frankie goes back to his “normal” life, but wants to do more for his father. He goes to his brother Joseph for help and counsel. Frankie sees Joseph at his place of work — Joseph does extremely well for himself and is a great financial success (he always resented his mother and feels little love for her, if any at all. As far as his father goes, he stopped feeling sorry for him a long time ago). Frankie asks if Joseph could take his father in for a little while – until Frankie can take care of him. Joseph emphatically rejects this offer and in the end, is no help to Frankie.

Frankie visits his father and brings Dalanie with him for dinner. Lenny is very old-fashioned and doesn’t even realize his own racism, however subtle. Her being black throws Lenny off a bit and he even makes a few politically incorrect remarks, unaware of the faux pas. Dalanie takes it all in with tremendous grace and understanding – she is all heart here. Talk of their recent travels spurs on another impulsive decision — Frankie says that all three should go to Europe. Frankie tells both to leave everything to him (money/expenses – and his parole officer). He just has a few things to take care of and they can go by next week. The following week, all three are at the airport and on their way to their first stop – Milan, Italy.

ACT THREE

SEEING EUROPE – AND SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES. Frankie ignores his parolee status and tells the two he has taken care of it. The three see the sights of northern Italy – Milan, Florence, Venice. They take an overnight train to Paris. When Lenny insists that Frankie and Dalanie go off together for a while, Lenny meets with the beautiful and mysterious Aniseh (Aghdashloo). She is an executive and a divorcee who is travelling by herself. Lenny and Aniseh spend the day together – it is the first time Lenny has ever been with a woman other than Renata. The two couples dine that evening and the feeling could not be happier. Lenny and Aniseh spend a lot of time together in Paris. She tells them of a home in northern France that is available. Before the trio leaves for home, they all decide to buy the house and live in France for good – nothing is keeping them at home and they are so happy here. Plus, Aniseh would be just a train ride away to see Lenny.

Back home – Lenny and Frankie are prepping to move to France for good. When Frankie heads back to his apartment by himself, he is arrested for stealing money once again (money he used to pay for their travels). Lenny is unaware of this. Joseph comes to see Frankie in jail and finally shows some sympathy by bailing his younger brother out. Frankie is going away for a few years this time. He doesn’t regret any of it this time. He feels that it was all worth it. Lenny comes to see Frankie and Frankie insists that Lenny move without him…that he’ll catch up with him before he knows it. Lenny refuses to do it – until Dalanie insists he take her with and the two of them will wait for Frankie’s release.

In the end, we see Lenny moving into his new home in France with Dalanie – the woman he initially thought was no good for his son just because she is African-American. Aniseh comes to visit and break in the new home – and Renata makes a final appearance with her husband, giving Lenny the closure he has so desperately needed.

Announcements

• Amy from Yet Another Magazine is looking for a writer. If you are interested, read below:

I’ve been posting this around without much luck, so I was wondering if you
could help me out with a request post.

I need a writer/film reviewer in the NYC Area

This is my ad (http://mubi.com/topics/11166)
–
I run YAM Magazine (http://www.amy-wong.com/tag/yam/), a PDF-based
Magazine soon to be a website. For a while now, we have been receiving
invitations to press screenings – for some independent films – in the NYC
area… Brooklyn, around those areas – forgive my terrible New York
geography knowledge – and well, YAM Mag doesn’t have anyone to attend
those events.

We can’t pay anything… yet – hopefully, we will in the future. But we’d
really like someone who likes all sort of films – who usually watches and
listens to everything from indie, pseudo-indie, to foreign films and
blockbusters – Hopefully, we’ll be able to get you on press screenings…
and maybe (just maybe) even get you passes to local festivals.

If you’re not in NYC, but live in other countries… like the UK, France…
Germany, or China, Hong Kong, Japan. Anywhere really, we’d like to get
what’s on your local cinemas. You can PM, leave a msg here or you can also
visit our FB group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96107973845).

–
People interested could leave a message on the MUBI thread, join the FB
group, or leave a message on my portfolio. My portfolio has also email
contact info.

If someone replies soon, we have received screening invites for The
Romantics this week… otherwise, we’ll wait for a future screening. YAM
would really like someone there this time.

If you have any announcement you would like to make, feel free to contact us!

The Open Bar Soundtrack

A Few Potential Topics for Discussion

• Your plans for the weekend
• Fantasy Football Season is upon us
• Has America peaked?
• The Big Picture: Afghanistan, August 2010