crimethink
14th September 2016, 03:50 PM
Steven Spielberg, Harvey Weinstein Prep Rival Films Based on True Kidnapping Tale
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-harvey-weinstein-prep-928387
Harvey Weinstein and Steven Spielberg are poised to go head-to-head once again.
The Weinstein Co. is moving forward with a drama based on the true story of the kidnapping [sic - see below] of Edgardo Mortara, with Robert De Niro circling the role of Pope Pius IX. The move pits the untitled film against an Amblin Entertainment project on the subject that will mark Spielberg's next directorial effort.
Baltasar Kormakur is in talks to direct the Weinstein film, which Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) is penning. Julia Chasman (25th Hour), who has been developing the property for 15 years, is producing, while Nick Wechsler (Magic Mike, The Road) is executive producing.
It's an intriguing twist for the story about a 6-year-old Italian [sic] boy who in 1858 was taken from his Jewish parents by police and raised Catholic. Weinstein had been developing a film for eight years on Montara, which also piqued Spielberg's interest.
The two flirted with combining forces, but that was unlikely given the fraught history between them (a bruising best picture Oscar campaign in 1999 that saw Weinstein's Shakespeare in Love beat Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan for best picture). Then, in April, Spielberg decided to move forward solo.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-harvey-weinstein-prep-928387
Harvey Weinstein and Steven Spielberg are poised to go head-to-head once again.
The Weinstein Co. is moving forward with a drama based on the true story of the kidnapping [sic - see below] of Edgardo Mortara, with Robert De Niro circling the role of Pope Pius IX. The move pits the untitled film against an Amblin Entertainment project on the subject that will mark Spielberg's next directorial effort.
Baltasar Kormakur is in talks to direct the Weinstein film, which Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) is penning. Julia Chasman (25th Hour), who has been developing the property for 15 years, is producing, while Nick Wechsler (Magic Mike, The Road) is executive producing.
It's an intriguing twist for the story about a 6-year-old Italian [sic] boy who in 1858 was taken from his Jewish parents by police and raised Catholic. Weinstein had been developing a film for eight years on Montara, which also piqued Spielberg's interest.
The two flirted with combining forces, but that was unlikely given the fraught history between them (a bruising best picture Oscar campaign in 1999 that saw Weinstein's Shakespeare in Love beat Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan for best picture). Then, in April, Spielberg decided to move forward solo.