Caesar

[Project862006]

Warner Bros Hails Caesar In Pitch Deal For Jonathan Liebesman-Directed Epic

Warner Bros is acquiring a pitch for an epic-sized telling of the story of general and Roman leader Gaius Julius Caesar that will be written by Chris Boal and directed by Jonathan Liebesman. The film will be produced by Basil Iwanyk and his Warner Bros-based Thunder Road banner. I’m told that it’s an original pitch that is not a biopic as much a Patton-like approach that covers the time in which Caesar was sent to Spain on a detail no one else wanted. There, he built the 10th Legion fighting force that would eventually march on Rome, overrun the forces of his close friend turned rival Pompey, and establish Caesar as the unrivaled ruler of the empire. The idea is to create a sweeping drama with a big movie star part, and the pitch came with some of the action scenes choreographed. The film would end with his coronation but leaves open the prospect of a second film that chronicled his trip to Egypt and eventual assassination. Liebesman, whose Battle: Los Angeles was just released on DVD, re-teams with Iwanyk just as they wrapped Clash of the Titans 2 for Warner Bros this week. The project comes from an idea by Liebesman which he and Iwanyk honed while making the Clash sequel that stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson.

Boal is the brother of Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal, and he has become a writer with heat because of his play 23 Knives. That drama focuses on the autopsy of Caesar after he was done in by his colleagues on the floor of the Roman Senate. The play is unrelated to the movie, but clearly Boal has the Caesar story down cold. There have been numerous movies and miniseries based on segments of Caesar's storied life, notably including the first season of the HBO series Rome. The other significant Caesar project in the works is one that William Broyles is scripting, based on Conn Iggulden's novel trilogy that covered the formative years of Gaius Julius Caesar. CAA reps both Liebesman and Boal.

 

[terry78]

I'm surprised nobody has ever optioned to do a Caesar flick with today's technology.

 

[Marvolo]

Ehh, needs a better direcror, and I would rather see his Gaul campaign brought to film. That being said, I will check this out, but its got to work hard to inpress me.

 

[Matt]

I'm very intrigiued by this movie.

As for casting Caesar, it is too bad that Hollywood doesn't have a time machine. This would be a perfect role for Peter Cushing in his heyday. Now-a-days, I could see Viggo Mortensen would be GREAT in the role, though I'm guessing the studio will insist upon someone more marketable. Daniel Craig would work, I think.

 

[DACrowe]

Cirian Hinds played a wonderful Caesar in the first season of HBO's Rome. Though they didn't have the budget to show any battles (or the time to do his detour into Egypt justice), they covered his rise to greater power after the Gaul campaign, his war with Pompey, his coupling with Egypt and the relationship he had with Brutus and Antony to brilliant effect.

 

[Marvolo]

Cirian Hinds played a wonderful Caesar in the first season of HBO's Rome. Though they didn't have the budget to show any battles (or the time to do his detour into Egypt justice), they covered his rise to greater power after the Gaul campaign, his war with Pompey, his coupling with Egypt and the relationship he had with Brutus and Antony to brilliant effect.

Cirian Hind and James Purefoy made the perfect Ceasar and Mark Antony. They were the first exposure I had to Ceasar and Antony in any real capacity. Since then I have done a lot of reading about these historical figutes, and, lol, now when I read about them in history I picture Hinds and Purefoy. Cast those two amd I'll be there opening day. I have a feeling they are going to go for young actors though. I swear if they pick someone like Channing Tatum for Ceasar I will rage!

 

[Matt]

They won't. This'll likely be a studio's prestige picture. They'll want a fairly recognizable actor in the role. I can't see them casting Hind who has played the role before and isn't a very well known actor.

The more that I think about it, the more that I can really get behind Mortensen for the role, though I would settle for Craig.

 

[terry78]

Mortensen needs another big epic to put out there I think. I was hoping he'd get into Man of Steel, but this would work.

 

[Venomfan]

ha this is kind of funny that u guys are talking about Mortensen. when i read the Emperor books by Conn Iggulden that they talk about in that article i wanted Viggo to play older Caesar, pretty much cuz i thought he was the coolest guy ever after LOTR