David O. Russell's American Hustle

[kvz5]

http://tinyurl.com/87976u7

David O. Russell Eyes Crime Drama 'American ********'; Christian Bale Sought To Star


Update: Deadline reports that the project is still in very early stages, nothing is quite official, but Russell is taking a look and Christian Bale is in very early talks to star.

Director David O. Russell has spun the project roulette wheel and has added another promising film to his big pile of stuff he might do.

Currently in post-production on "The Silver Linings Playbook," that helmer has now signed on to direct "American ********," a Black List script that early last year, Ben Affleck was considering as a followup to "The Town." Written by Eric Warren Singer ("The International") the film is based on the true story of Abscam, the FBI's 1980 undercover sting operation of Congress to root out corruption, which was the brainchild Melvin Weinberg, one of the most notoriouis conmen inthe world, who was hired by the bureau to run the investigation. The operation targeted thirty-one officials and led to eleven convictions and while it came under scrutiny for its unorthodox methods, all the convictions were upheld on appeal.

As THR cautions, the project is in early stages (and Deadline says the director's rep are denying he's doing it) and Russell's involvement apparently depends on casting. And not only that, dude has a handful of other options as well. In the past while he's lined up a plethora of projects including: a Columbian hostage movie entitled "The Mission" that had Brad Pitt sniffing around a role; a biopic of Rhode Island mayor Buddy Cianci and another biopic on Russ Meyer. And who knows what else may cross his plate in the coming weeks and months. But "American ********" sounds like a juicy story, that would also offer a bit of gear change for the director. But no guarantees yet it will make it in front cameras with Russell at the helm.

 

[Octoberist]

Why even consider going with that title when you know they'll have to change it?

I think eventually it'll be called 'American BS'.

 

[Bruce Malone]

If they stick to their guns it might be "American Bull*****" or something on the posters:


-edit- I replaced the I in that word with a !. Didn't get past the filter i see.

 

[Octoberist]

But that was a fairly small documentary.

 

[Bruce Malone]

That's true but i'd like to see them stick with that title. It's pretty ballsy i'm assuming that's the vibe they're going with for with that title. So it'd be lame to see them water the whole title down.

Depending on what kind of audience they're targeting i think the title could be there in one way or another. Also they might actually be trying to court some controversy as well.

 

[Octoberist]

Also you have to think about the TV spots. It's possible it'll be called by its original title but will be advertised as American BS or something like that.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Oh for sure but on the main title on the screen you'd still see the unedited title. The truth is "that word" is not really all that offensive even these days. I mean 15 years ago you probably wouldn't have had wide release movies with "kick-ass" or "basterds" in the title.

I think austin powers the spy who shagged me actually caused a bit of controversy in england over its title.

 

[kvz5]

One of the movie sites suggested US BS.

It would be good if they stick with the intended title.

 

[Project862006]

Bradley Cooper joins Christian bale
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...ican-********-megan-ellison-may-fund-20120418

 

[kvz5]

Megan Ellison needs a medal. I love how she's funding all these awesome movies.

 

[Octoberist]

Love live Megan

 

[Wolfwood]

I'm guessing Cooper plays the Conman

 

[kvz5]

Love live Megan

Seriously. I want to build her an altar.

I'm guessing Cooper plays the Conman

If i have to guess, Bale is playing the lead (Melvin). Honestly, while the script is solid, the rest of the characters are meh. Melvin has some of the Dicky Ecklund charm.

The 2nd lead is his FBI handler.

 

[Bim]

Bradley Cooper annoys me these days, but cool, he's a good actor

 

[terry78]

^That means he's doing his job.

 

[marvelman2006]

I thought for a second this was a weird american pie sequel announced.

 

[kvz5]

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/son...e-rights-to-spike-jonze-david-o-russell-pics/

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Lands Offshore Rights To Spike Jonze, David O Russell Pics

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has made deal with Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures for international rights on two untitled film projects that will be directed by Spike Jonze and David O Russell. As she often does with auteur fare, Ellison stepped up to fully fund both films, as she did with the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed The Master, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

Jonze wrote the script for his untitled film, which stars Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Samantha Morton and Olivia Wilde. I’ve heard the film is about a guy who falls in love with the voice of a computer, similar to the Siri feature on the new iPhone. SPWA has acquired all media for Latin America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Australia/New Zealand and pan-Asia Pay TV.

The Russell-directed project once had the working title of American *beep* Scripted by Eric Warren Singer, it will re-team the director with his The Fighter star Christian Bale. Bale will star with Bradley Cooper. The film, a drama about the 70s FBI sting operation Abscam that took down a bunch of U.S. congressman, will be released domestically by Sony Pictures. It was developed at that studio by Atlas Entertainment, whose Charles Roven and Richard Suckle are producing with Ellison and Ted Schipper for Annapurna. SPWA acquired all media for Latin America, Eastern Europe, South Africa and Pan-Asia Pay TV

SPWA’s Michael Helfand and Joe Matukewicz made the deals with Panorama Media, the company Ellison hatched at Cannes.

 

[kvz5]

It looks like it's a Russell/Bale/Adams reunion!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dark-knight-rises-cast-bale-hathaway-hardy-350253

Christian Bale: The Oscar-winner is pivoting from being the muse of Christopher Nolan to that of an even more exacting director, Terrence Malick. He'll star in both of the enigmatic and hermetic helmer's next two films: The Knight of Cups, with Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett; and an as-yet-untitled film, again with Portman and Blanchett, as well as Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara.

Bale will also star in the revenge drama Out of the Furnace, a long-brewing project which will be directed by Scott Cooper; and then work with another demanding director, David O. Russell, in American ********, which will co-star Amy Adams.

Or maybe not...

@TheInSneider: E-X-C-L-U-S-I-V-E: THE BOURNE LEGACY star JEREMY RENNER is in talks to replace CHRISTIAN BALE in DAVID O. RUSSELL's untitled Sony drama!

 

[Rowsdower!]

Geez, I like Renner but he's gradually becoming "the replacement guy" in Hollywood.

Hopefully that report is wrong, though. One, because I'd rather see Bale in this, and two, because The InSneider is a f**king tool.

 

[MadVillainy]

I hope Bale is in this.

Renner is cool, but I'd rather see Bale doing this. Or I'd rather see Renner-Bale than Cooper-Bale. I like Cooper but I like Renner more

 

[kvz5]

So it turns out that Bale was supposed to be playing the FBI agent.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118056674

It's not the best role in the movie (the con man is) so it's not too bad now that Bale dropped out. Unless they revise the script, it's a big thankless role.

 

[Rowsdower!]

In that case, it's probably better that Bale dropped out. He tends to get overlooked when he plays the more stoic hero character (Public Enemies, and even the Batman movies).

 

[kvz5]

Yeah, it's just a variety of the Melvin Purvis character. He's done that way too much already.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, he has.

If Bale goes for another stoic hero role somewhere down the road, hopefully it's in another franchise of Batman-like proportions (just not Terminator again, lol). I remember a while back there were rumors of him playing Solid Snake; I always thought that might be cool.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Megan Ellison needs a medal. I love how she's funding all these awesome movies.

Last I heard, she was producing the fifth Terminator movie. God, my fingers couldn't be crossed more for that movie to get a good crew.

But yeah, I wonder what Christian Bale has planned for himself. I actually saw Howl's Moving Castle again a couple weeks ago, and I liked his voice acting.