Juno Director Goes UP IN THE AIR

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/juno-director-goes-up-in-the-air-4645


Date: May 14, 2008

By: El Mayimbe
Source: Latino Review

El Mayimbe here with another Latinoreview exclusive…

A little over a month ago, Larry Carroll over at MTV Movies Blog got some clues about Jason Reitman’s next book adaptation. You can read that story “HERE”

Anyway, Reitman went on to say the following…

“Yeah, I’m writing something,” he grinned, cryptically. “I’m going to direct it at the end of the year. And no, I haven’t told anyone what it is yet.” After a few minutes of poking and prodding, we finally got the Oscar-nominated “Juno” and “Thank You for Smoking Director” to cough up a wee bit more.

“It’s a comedy and a drama [book adaptation],” he revealed. “Think ‘Thank You for Smoking,’ but instead of political it’s corporate.”

After confirming with my sources, here is the book Reitman is working on which looks to be his next film…

UP IN THE AIR by Walter Kirn

​

Makes sense because you know who owns the rights to Kirn’s novel and is also exec producing? Jason’s dad - Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) over at Montecito Pictures. Sheldon Turner did a draft of the book adaptation a while back which Ivan Reitman picked up as a spec script back in 2003. Walter Kirn’s other novel THUMBSUCKER was made into a movie back in 2005.

So what’s it about?

One of Amazon’s best books for 2001, Up In The Air is considered a brilliantly diverting novel that peers deeply into the world of modern business and it sometimes debilitating effects on the human soul.

Ryan Bingham’s job as a Career Transition Counselor – he fires people – has kept him airborne for years. Although he despises his line of work, he has come to love the culture of what he calls, “Airworld,” finding contentment within pressurized cabins and anonymous hotel rooms. With a letter of resignation sitting on his boss’s desk, and the hope of a job with a mysterious consulting firm, Ryan Bingham is agonizingly close to his ultimate goal, his Holy Grail: one million frequent flier miles. Kirn takes on the corporate world's weirdly mystical and paranoid side, its rhetoric of personal empowerment and its messianic devotion to gurus.

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[Gotham]

This is such perfect material for Reitman. Really in the vein of Thank You For Smoking.

 

[Hunter Rider]

This is such perfect material for Reitman. Really in the vein of Thank You For Smoking.

Agreed, i love the sound of the book, i imagine it can translate brilliantly to film with Reitman at the helm.

 

[Starbird]

My dad has that book.

I've never read it though. It sounds bloody brilliant too me though.

 

[Prison Mike]

I will definitely see this movie if its anywhere near Thank You For Smoking.

 

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/27/george-clooney-in-talks-for-jason-reitmans-up-in-the-air/

George Clooney in talks for Jason Reitman’s Up In The Air

Posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 7:22 pm by: Peter Sciretta


Sometimes while I blog about the latest news, I think to myself about how much the last year has affected the story I’m working on. With some actors and directors, it doesn’t make much of a difference. For example, George Clooney’s Michael Clayton was days away from screening at the Toronto Film Festival, yet it already had Oscar buzz. Clooney is the kind of actor who will always have his pick of big projects with award appeal.


On the other hand, Jason Reitman, who broke onto the scene with his 2005 adaptation of Thank You For Smoking, was still not a name director. Smoking, which was made for $6.5 million, grossed $24.8 million domestically, enough to be considered a big success in it’s own right. But not enough of a success that most of your friends probably still hadn’t heard of it, never mind seen it. Last year around this time, Reitman was busy finishing his second film, getting ready for the movie’s premiere at Telluride and Toronto. A movie written by a blogger and starring some small canadian girl that most of America didn’t even know existed. And we all know that that film, Juno, went on to gross over $227 million worldwide, receiving four Oscar nominations and one Academy Award win. It’s interesting what difference a year makes.

Since the release of Juno, Reitman has produced a horror film for Fox Atomic and has already signed on to develop and direct Jim Carrey’s next comedy. And tonight it was announced that George Clooney is in talks to star in his next film, an adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel Up in the Air. Clooney will play Ryan Bingham, a guy with a simple goal: to accumulate one million miles in his frequent flyer account. Here is more information from the book’s cover synopsis:

“Bingham’s job as a Career Transition Counselor has kept him airborne for years. Although he has come to despise his line of work, he has come to love the culture of what he calls “Airworld,” finding contentment within pressurized cabins, anonymous hotel rooms, and a wardrobe of wrinkle-free slacks. With a letter of resignation sitting on his boss’s desk, and the hope of a job with a mysterious consulting firm, Ryan Bingham is agonizingly close to his ultimate goal, his Holy Grail: one million frequent flier miles. But before he achieves this long-desired freedom, conditions begin to deteriorate. With perception, wit, and wisdom, Up in the Air combines brilliant social observation with an acute sense of the psychic costs of our rootless existence, and confirms Walter Kirn as one of the most savvy chroniclers of American life.”
​

What we already know:

• Dreamworks will distribute the film.
• Original estimated budget of around $12 to $15 million
• He wrote one of the roles for Reitman regular J.K. Simmons (who played Ellen Page’s father in Juno and Aaron Eckhart’s boss in Thank You For Smoking)
• Reitman took a break from adapting this book when he came across the script for Juno.
• Up in the Air was named one of Amazon.com’s Best of 2001.
• Time Out New York called Up in the Air “a hilarious, often ingenious ode to America.”
• The Washington Post called it “A dead-on, wry portrait of the life of the road warrior.”
• Another one of Walter Kirn’s novels, Thumbsucker, was adapted as a feature film back in 2005.

 

[Gotham]

George Clooney and Jason Reitman?

Great duo!

 

[ComixGirl]

Reitman is a bit overrated lately but this should be interesting.

 

[Ziggyman]

Reitman is a bit overrated lately but this should be interesting.

How is he overrated...He's had a couple good films...He hasn't received that much praise in order to put him into that category...For his work at least...!

Yeah...This also seems quite intriguing...

 

[ComixGirl]

How is he overrated...He's had a couple good films...He hasn't received that much praise in order to put him into that category...For his work at least...!

Yeah...This also seems quite intriguing...

I'd call Juno seriously overhyped and overrated. Maybe that film can be blamed on Diablo Cody though.

 

[Ziggyman]

Well...I really liked Juno...And Jennifer's Body...Seems kind of interesting...

92 posts in one day...Nice!

 

[Hunter Rider]

I'd call Juno seriously overhyped and overrated. Maybe that film can be blamed on Diablo Cody though.

This is the 3rd thread in your 1 hour posting blitz, that you have brought up your little pet peeve with Juno, please don't make a habit of it.

 

[ComixGirl]

This is the 3rd thread in your 1 hour posting blitz, that you have brought up your little pet peeve with Juno, please don't make a habit of it.

SOMEONE HAS AN OPINION DIFFERENT FROM MINE. GRRR.
GRRRR. IT MUST BE A "PET PEEVE". TELL THEM TO SHUT UP. GRRR.

 

[Hunter Rider]

SOMEONE HAS AN OPINION DIFFERENT FROM MINE. GRRR.
GRRRR. IT MUST BE A "PET PEEVE". TELL THEM TO SHUT UP. GRRR.

I could give a rats ass if you like the movie or not, bringing it up repetitively is the problem, playing hard done by on your "1st day" is a little over dramatic, get the lay of the land here instead of trying to get an avvy in record time.

 

[Ziggyman]

This is the 3rd thread in your 1 hour posting blitz, that you have brought up your little pet peeve with Juno, please don't make a habit of it.

What a blitz indeed! Hunter...Did you like Juno?

 

[ComixGirl]

I could give a rats ass if you like the movie or not, bringing it up repetitively is the problem, playing hard done by on your "1st day" is a little over dramatic, get the lay of the land here instead of trying to get an avvy in record time.

GRRR THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Sorry for talking about Juno in a thread about the director of Juno.

 

[Hunter Rider]

What a blitz indeed! Hunter...Did you like Juno?

Yeah i loved it, one of the best of last year IMO.

 

[Hunter Rider]

GRRR THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Sorry for talking about Juno in a thread about the director of Juno.

The internet isn't serious business...well maybe it is to you since you are very uptight and an eager beaver for that avvy. but y'see as it's up to me to make this section run smoothly, someone like you is kind of a problem, but i'm sure you'll learn.

Awwww, no need for the sad face now, i mean you even managed to bring it up in the Sweeney Todd thread, another one that you are making quite the splash in.

 

[ComixGirl]

The internet isn't serious business...well maybe it is to you since you are very uptight and an eager beaver for that avvy. but y'see as it's up to me to make this section run smoothly, someone like you is kind of a problem, but i'm sure you'll learn.

Awwww, no need for the sad face now, i mean you even managed to bring it up in the Sweeney Todd thread, another one that you are making quite the splash in.

Two threads. Oh noes.
Also, that was sarcasm. You're the one acting like the internet is serious business. "ITS UR FIRST DAY NOOB, UR JUST TRYING TO GET AN AVATAR"

I'm neither uptight nor eager to get an avatar, I'm just posting. Chill.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Two threads. Oh noes.
Also, that was sarcasm. You're the one acting like the internet is serious business. "ITS UR FIRST DAY NOOB, UR JUST TRYING TO GET AN AVATAR"

I'm neither uptight nor eager to get an avatar, I'm just posting. Chill.

3 actually, that doesn't even make sense, I was simply pointing out that your main goal seems to be to score an avvy quick, did your other name have a bigger avvy ? then you get all stroppy in this thread and the Sweeney one with Agentsands..

Sure you are....the rolleyes always gets me....

 

[D.B.]

Thank You for Not Smoking = <3
Juno = <3

Let's see what the director cooks up next.

 

[Ziggyman]

It's alright Hunter...Let her do...When it gets out of hand...Then you smack her...!

 

[Ziggyman]

Thank You for Not Smoking = <3
Juno = <3

Let's see what the director cooks up next.

Welcome to the boards D.B....And don't mean to be an a-hole or anything...But it's Thank You For Smoking...

 

[ComixGirl]

3 actually, that doesn't even make sense, I was simply pointing out that your main goal seems to be to score an avvy quick, did your other name have a bigger avvy ? then you get all stroppy in this thread and the Sweeney one with Agentsands..

Sure you are....the rolleyes always gets me....

I'm not actually aware how many posts it takes to reach "avvy". You can believe what you want, but you're just reflecting the INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS vibes inside yourself that make you think having a different opinion is "stroppy" and posting three times about Juno in a movie forum out of almost 100 posts is a problem.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I'm not actually aware how many posts it takes to reach "avvy". You can believe what you want, but you're just reflecting the INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS vibes inside yourself that make you think having a different opinion is "stroppy" and posting three times about Juno in a movie forum out of almost 100 posts is a problem.

The fact you have managed to drag this on about 3 posts longer than it should have went coupled with the comments above pretty much reflects that you should have maybe read here before diving in. If you actually knew anything about this place you'd know i don't care at all about different opinions, i mean if i recall you were the one who claimed everyone that liked Juno was a "****** that new nothing about cinema" b/c they disagreed with your opinion, and all i was pointing out was that if you are gonna constantly bring that movie up it would become a problem, just a friendly piece of advise that you got all bent out of shape about.