Prisoners

[nevaeh777]

Looks like Melissa Leo has been signed on to join the cast of "Prisoners" with Hugh.


www.variety.com/article/VR1118059430?refCatId=13

collider.com/melissa-leo-prisoners/196456/

[jo]

Who is she going to play??

Empire has an interesting suggestion --

www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=35231

Melissa Leo Takes Prisoners
She's on for the Hugh Jackman thriller

18 September 2012 | Written by James White | Source: Variety


After going through years of development hell, various directors and actors attached, Aaron Guzikowski’s script Prisoners finally seemed on the road to shooting earlier this year, when Incendies director Denis Villeneuve and actor Hugh Jackman signed on. The signs are still positive, as Melissa Leo is now aboard.

Prisoners will see Jackman as a small-town carpenter whose life is thrown into disarray when his young daughter and her best pal are kidnapped. Driven by vigilante rage and the sort of paternal protective spirit Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills would heartily approve of, he in turn kidnaps the man he thinks is responsible.

So far, so Father Of The Year in his kid’s eyes. It’s a great plan, a most majestic plan with just one itty-bitty problem… He might have snatched an innocent man. Whoops! And his take-charge attitude also has him run afoul of the big city detective who is investigating the case.

There’s no word on who Leo is playing (though we’d be happy to see her as a hard-bitten ‘tec going up against Jackman), but we do at least know that Villeneuve is planning to start shooting early next year for Alcon Entertainment.

Leo was last seen in Red State and has a load of movies scheduled to hit in the future, including Flight with Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise sci-fi pic Oblivion, Why Stop Now with Jesse Eisenberg and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

Does "'tec" mean detective??

That would be a very interesting option! I doubt she will play the role of Keller's wife...but maybe she could also play the small but effective role of the suspect's aunt??

I think the movie might be moving into an indie-drama type of movie. And may even land further awards possibilities!! The casting of Melissa seems to indicate that this is really going to be a serious drama, coming from the promise of the much vaunted page-turning script.

Jo

[nevaeh777]

Sept 18, 2012 21:09:52 GMT -5 jo said:

I think the movie might be moving into an indie-drama type of movie. And may even land further awards possibilities!! The casting of Melissa seems to indicate that this is really going to be a serious drama, coming from the promise of the much vaunted page-turning script.

Jo

That's exactly what I thought when I read the article Jo and especially with the casting of Melissa Leo. Very interesting how this is coming together.

[rmtndew]

Wasn't the detective originally a man? It's been a while since I read the script. I think Melissa Leo would be excellent as the suspect's aunt. It's a small role but it needs someone who can really act to bring it to life.

I'm interested in seeing this one come together, though. I read this script all the way through in one sitting until the very early hours of the morning because it was that gripping. I can only imagine how fantastic it's going to be once these amazing actors get a hold of it.

- Alicia

[jo]

Yes, "Loki" from the script is a man. And he is supposed to be a young, upcoming, and slightly ambitious detective, from what I recall from the script ( Note to myself -- Re-read the script when the full casting has been announced!). That doesn't exactly fit the physicality of Melissa Leo

If they recast him as a female detective, I hope it won't look like a cop drama on TV ;D

Have there been effective dramatic two-handers with one male and one female as antagonists?

Jo

[nevaeh777]

Jo and Alicia, I'd love to read the script! Where did you get a hold of it?!

[jo]

I am on the mailing list of SCRIPTSHADOW and originally got it from their link. However the link is no longer valid. Plus I lost my copy when my computer crashed.

If I recall right, I think I googled for 'DOWNLOAD PROVIDER - PRISONERS AARON GUZIKOWSKI" and might have gotten a copy again from that source.

Jo

[rmtndew]

I got a copy forever ago on the old forum. Jo may have been the one to post it there. I may still have it on my computer, nevaeh. PM me your e-mail address and if I find it, I'll send it to you.

- Alicia

[jo]

Now that you mention it -- I think I may have posted the SCRIPTSHADOWN link then. Unfortunately, they have taken it down.

I wonder -- if the option of Melissa being cast as the detective is a possibility -- would they also be changing other parts of the script? There is one part which I thought was too dark ( played by Keller, the part Hugh is playing) may probably be considered for minor changes. Although maybe because it is somewhat dark which makes the script more appealing?

Jo

[birchie]

I was excited when I read that Melissa Leo was on board. Always great to have people with strong acting chops added to upcoming movies. I actually hope they don't change the detective part to a woman. I think having a smart, slightly younger foil will make for an interesting dynamic for Hugh to play off of. At first I thought maybe Keller's wife but I think she's several years older than Hugh so I don't know. Now that someone mentioned the aunt that would be an interesting choice.

[ocjackie]

Thanks so much Birchie for the link. I tried to download it, but I'm definitely not a geek. I got it wrong, so my techie son is doing it for me. Again, thanks!!

[droverswoman]

This movie is sounding more and more interesting. Is anyone else picturing Hugh in jeans with a tool belt slung low on his hips? ;D Sorry, that image just distracted me for a moment.

Thanks for the link to the script, birchie!

[nevaeh777]

Thanks so much Sue! I've downloaded it and looking forward to a good read through tonight! Much appreciated!

[jo]

Don't hold your breath in the last 20 pages :o

And Keller is not exactly the kind of sexy Logan image that we have of Hugh

Jo

[rmtndew]

I like that one of the articles mentions Liam Neeson's character for comparison to the character of Keller, at least in the lengths he's willing to go to in order to find his daughter, because looking back on it, Keller very much reminds me of him. The difference - and I think it's big enough not lump these two movies together - is that in Prisoners, the man is not someone who's trained to fight bad guys, he's just someone who desperately wants his daughter back and is willing to go to any length to do it. And because of that, he doesn't know exactly what he's doing, which creates this tension of, Does he have the right person or is he just not pushing him hard enough?

Have I mentioned I'm excited for this movie? Because I really am.

- Alicia

[nevaeh777]

Wow. I read it in one sitting. I thought I'd read it in two halves, but I got glued! LOL. I ended up in bed at 2am and had to get up for 5:30am! It had a feel (somewhat) like "The Lovely Bones" to me, but without the supernatural aspect. Wasn't Hugh once connected to that project to play the father? Then Mark Wahlberg took over. With "Prisoners" I think it's in the reverse. Mark Wahlberg was attached to it in the beginning, and now Hugh is. This film, though, is much heavier. I totally see Melissa Leo as the aunt!

[girlfromrio]

So glad to see that both Hugh and director Denis Villeneuve are still attached to this. When I saw "Incendies" I thought, this guy is right up Hugh's alley. Sentimental without being maudlin, strong without being callous. A movie about a civil war (probably Lebanon) that's powerful without being overly graphic regarding the terrible violence, and the wounds often psychological and reverberating through generations. Just the kind of approach that will make "Prisoners" a very complex and sophisticated movie.

[mamaleh]

Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to play the detective.

www.variety.com/article/VR1118059739

Ellen

[jo]

Jake would be an interesting choice to play the young and ambitious detective. I remember seeing him once in a movie with Robert Downey where Jake also played an amateur detective out to get a serial killer (ZODIAC, with David Fincher directing).

I wonder how the chemistry with Hugh will work out? And what script polishing was done?

Jo

[mamaleh]

I recently saw Jake G. in an Off-Broadway play, and he was quite riveting--except for his rapid-fire delivery of dialogue in a very British accent, which caused me to miss a few lines here and there. But he has a surprisingly forceful stage presence and is a good actor, who, like Hugh, is often at the mercy of not-so-hot scripts. (I saw ZODIAC, too, some years ago; I thought Jake and the movie were very effective.)

Yes, I wonder what that "script polishing" implies? Hoping Hugh's part is not cut to make room for more JG.

Ellen

[jo]

Maybe he doesn't want his detective image to be young and brash and ambitious? But that is what makes Loki's encounters with Keller more interesting! Maybe he wants to play him older and more serious?

Will they change the last 20 pages? That is the most suspenseful part...but will that translate effectively on screen? Maybe that was the part that needed rewriting for a more compelling climax?

Jo

[droverswoman]

Interesting! Looks like things are heating up for this film - sounds like they'll be starting this early in the new year!

[jo]

I hope they don't start that early.

Hugh may still have to do publicity for Les Miserables ( as many overseas markets will only open the movie in the first quarter). And I hope that they give him time for some hobnobbing with Oscar nominators ( co-actors) and voters ( the whole AMPAS) during the critical times

Jo

[droverswoman]

Not to mention the possibility of him hosting the Oscars again, we hope!

[jo]

Jake Gyllenhaal has signed up for the role of the detective, Loki!

www.deadline.com/2012/10/jake-gyllenhaal-joins-hugh-jackman-in-thriller-prisoners/

I am cautiously optimistic that with a very good script, an impressive casting, and hopefully very good direction - this could be another artistic triumph for Hugh.

Jo