Tackling the epic story of Cleopatra always seemed like an odd fit for filmmaker David Fincher. I have no doubt that a Fincher directed ‘Cleopatra’ would have had the potential to be something special, but it never felt like the type of movie he’s ideally suited for. While, Vulture is reporting here that we won’t actually be getting his take, as he’s dropped out of making the flick, still set to star Angelina Jolie in the title role. Apparently Ang Lee is now the top choice to direct, but nothing is set in stone. You can see some details after the jump, but I wonder if this is a sign that he’s more likely or perhaps less likely to take on ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’, since both are set up at Sony. We shall see, but you can find out a little bit more about Fincher’s departure from the project below…
Here’s the meat of the Vulture article:
Talks have broken off between Sony and director David Fincher for a planned remake of Cleopatra starring Angelina Jolie. The studio is now seeking other candidates (including, but not limited to, Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee – though negotiations have not commenced with Lee, nor has an offer been made).
News of the project first surfaced in June 2010, when Hollywood Über-producer Scott Rudin announced that he’d optioned Stacy Schiff’s book Cleopatra: A Life and was developing it for Jolie. In October 2010, it caught the eye of James Cameron, but then 20th Century Fox committed to filming two Avatar sequels. In January 2011, it seemed that The Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass would direct, but by March 2011, Greengrass was out and Sony began talks with David Fincher, who was just wrapping up The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for the studio.
It’s not clear why Fincher decamped from Cleopatra, or even when. As late as last December, Fincher was still expressing enthusiasm for the project to MTV News, albeit tempered by an unwillingness to make what he termed “a giant sword-and-sandal epic. We’ve seen scope; everyone knows we can fake that. That stuff doesn’t impress in the way that it did even 10 years ago.” Instead, Fincher said he wanted to focus on what still makes Cleopatra “relatable to today.”
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3 Comments
I’d still love for him to make Torso one day, but that’s likely never happening…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)
I can predict this to be a bloated epic….but as long as it doesn’t have Fincher’s name on it, I’m good.
Henry Z.(Quote) (Reply)
Duly noted…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)