Butler's Script Sale of the Week...
October 15th, 2001
A busy week for sales, but not too many exciting projects with the exception of the Mel Gibson/Richard Donner pitch SAM AND GEORGE, Miramax's intriguing HUMAN, and the high concept BETTER HALF (only because Jonathan Mostow is on board as producer).
How could my pick of the week not be the announcement that the Coen brothers will be rewriting and filming the comedy, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY?
This project has been all over Hollywood. Initially, the Coens' were set to produce, having gone so far as to rewrite the original script by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone. Jonathan Demme was interested at one point. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere had practically signed a deal to star. Now the Coens have it back.
And the good news just gets better when it's announced George Clooney is set to star. Clooney, of course, took the lead in the Coens' O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (2000). A former TV heartthrob and god-awful Batman, Clooney has firmly established himself as an actor of, if not considerable talent, than at least artistic integrity when it comes to who he works with and the projects he works on. He has already established a creative and professional partnership with Steven Soderbergh (who knew exactly what to do with Clooney in OUT OF SIGHT (1997) and re-teams with the actor on the upcoming OCEAN'S 11). Now it seems as if the erstwhile Clooney has formed a bond with the Coens as well.
The storyline for INTOLERABLE CRUELTY concerns a divorce lawyer who must contend with the vengeful antics of one of his client's ex-wives. Eventually, revenge turns to romance as the lawyer and the divorcee fall in love.
Not exactly the most original idea. Indeed, it could be the synopsis for any number of light romantic comedies that have come and gone. But think about the log lines for the Coens' previous work: a pregnant midwestern sheriff investigates a kidnapping; a self-obsessed playwright tries to make it in Hollywood; a southern California stoner gets embroiled in a case of mistaken identity; a trio of prisoners escape a chain gang and try to preserve their new found freedom. All pretty simple stuff, yet in the hands of the Coens all of them above transcended their respective genres and became original pieces of cinematic art.
I think it's safe to say we can expect the same with INTOLERABLE CRUELTY.
-- Edward Butler
How could my pick of the week not be the announcement that the Coen brothers will be rewriting and filming the comedy, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY?
This project has been all over Hollywood. Initially, the Coens' were set to produce, having gone so far as to rewrite the original script by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone. Jonathan Demme was interested at one point. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere had practically signed a deal to star. Now the Coens have it back.
And the good news just gets better when it's announced George Clooney is set to star. Clooney, of course, took the lead in the Coens' O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (2000). A former TV heartthrob and god-awful Batman, Clooney has firmly established himself as an actor of, if not considerable talent, than at least artistic integrity when it comes to who he works with and the projects he works on. He has already established a creative and professional partnership with Steven Soderbergh (who knew exactly what to do with Clooney in OUT OF SIGHT (1997) and re-teams with the actor on the upcoming OCEAN'S 11). Now it seems as if the erstwhile Clooney has formed a bond with the Coens as well.
The storyline for INTOLERABLE CRUELTY concerns a divorce lawyer who must contend with the vengeful antics of one of his client's ex-wives. Eventually, revenge turns to romance as the lawyer and the divorcee fall in love.
Not exactly the most original idea. Indeed, it could be the synopsis for any number of light romantic comedies that have come and gone. But think about the log lines for the Coens' previous work: a pregnant midwestern sheriff investigates a kidnapping; a self-obsessed playwright tries to make it in Hollywood; a southern California stoner gets embroiled in a case of mistaken identity; a trio of prisoners escape a chain gang and try to preserve their new found freedom. All pretty simple stuff, yet in the hands of the Coens all of them above transcended their respective genres and became original pieces of cinematic art.
I think it's safe to say we can expect the same with INTOLERABLE CRUELTY.
-- Edward Butler
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