Oscar Bait 2015 Alert: "Genius" With Kidman, Firth, and Law
Monday, April 28, 2014 at 12:32PM Yes, dear concerned reader, I know I know. I'm supposed to be thinking about 2014 and who might be Oscar nominated 9 months from now. I'll get there. I will. But I can't let this latest dazzling dangling carrot of 2015 cinematic possibility pass without mention. Because a curious trend continues...
Thomas Wolfe, Aline Bernstein, and Max Perkins to be played by Law, Kidman, and Firth
We've already noted, with raised eyebrow, the shocking rapidity of Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth veritable obsession with working together. As previously mentioned they have THREE films together coming out this year. Add a fourth to the pipeline. They will co-star again in Genius which is based on the super acclaimed biography "Max Perkins: Editor Of Genius," by A Scott Berg.
The screenplay is by three time Oscar nominee John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo) and the cast is similarly Oscar-favored. Two time nominee Jude Law, Kidman's Cold Mountain "husband" (I will marry yoooo) has taken over the incredibly juicy role of the novelist Thomas Wolfe (which means a viable shot at a Supporting Actor trophy for Jude Law even though the best guess is that he's actually co-lead) which was once to be played by Michael Fassbender. Oscar winner Colin Firth headlines playing the influential book editor Max Perkins and Oscar winning Kidman plays Wolfe's lover, the multihyphenate writer/costume/set designer Aline Bernstein. The film takes place in the 1920s/1930s literary scene so stay tuned. Who will they cast as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway? Both of those legends also have major roles in the book.
The big obvious question mark here is budget (can it get the lush period treatment it deserves?) and Michael Grandage in the director's chair. This is the 52 year old stage director's first feature gig behind the camera though he's acted in front of it before.
Wanna read the book?
Reader Comments (18)
Ooh! Sounds so great! Of course I will read the book before the movie--it's something I try to do whenever possible, especially when it has a literary theme!
This sounds promising but let me put it out there that I hope The Danish Girl is not dead.
The book is interesting, but I have a hard time seeing it as an absorbing movie. As for the cast, there seems to be an over-familiar feel to it--these three, or pairs of them, may have worked together too frequently. I think Fassbender would have shaken things up a bit.
Sound like Hemingway & Gellhorn and that was awful. Kidman in particular.
It might play well for the BAFTAs? Otherwise, this sounds a bit stuffy/intellectual/literary for AMPAS taste.
Also, Grandage gives me Phyllida Lloyd vibes.
I second what James T said. I also want The Danish Girl to happen.
I think that's the picture of Aline Bernstein Saarinen, an art and architecture critic.
Here's a picture of Aline Bernstein, writer/costume/set designer.
http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/cvvpw/gallery/bernstein.html
Happy for Jude. But Nicole has gone vanilla. These aimless prestige projects on paper do not arouse interest. I want daring and provocative and strange. Where have all the auteurs gone when it comes to Nicole?
Serena -- thank you. i thought the picture looked way too 1950s. I will fix.
Jude Law is in this so I'm there ! Also I want to see what Grandage dose with this.
I agree that it's too bad that Fassbender was not cast in this. I have yet to see any chemistry from Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, so it's not for our benefit that they are working a lot together. Jude Law is also a bit of a dullard. I also struggle with Nicole in any period piece now because of her plastic surgery. It completely ruins the fantasy of a film transporting you to another time and place.
james t and sad man - "the danish girl" is getting made... with eddie redmayne directed by tom hooper apparently! (lol)
@marcelo - I *just* found out and came here to mention it! I'm just so good with The Secret. Let's hope Hooper does at least a decent job.
Now I have to choose who will play the other female part. :p
Talk about -familiar feel , Wasn't Fassbender in Dangerous Methods or something with Viggo and Keira. I didn't think he brought anything special to that movie So I'm glad Jude Law is in this. Now if they can just change Kidman out then maybe we would have something here.
3rtful, I get that every other post made about Kidman on this site must illicit some kind of criticism from you, but I'd like to point out that she's never worked with auteurs film after film after film. Perhaps it just seems that way due to the amount of greats she's worked with. You're acting like she hasn't done an "auteur" film in ages when she, literally, not two months ago, finished filming a Werner freakin' Herzog film (his first with a full fledged female lead, I might add). Sorry she can't keep up with your expectations!
Anyway, I'm here for this cast. Can't wait to see who else they add. And a Cold Mountain reunion!
Great book- it's going to a challenge to make this work as movie- but if it does it will be MAJOR Oscar bait
I can't believe someone just accused Nicole Kidman of going "vanilla." Especially when she has a movie coming out with Werner. I can't believe another accursed her of being awful in Hemmingway and Gellhorn. Did you see Clive Owen?
I'll be there for Colin Firth. Yes