Jackman Film Role News

[luzie]

Well, I am a Wolverine fan! And Real Steel still belongs to my favorite movies. I've never belonged to those - unfortunately some of his fans, too - who dissed the film beforeand. 

I don't blame HIM or diss him for his career choices!! He probably cherry-picks and makes the best of what he gets offered. I just don't believe he receives too many challenging roles in comparison to some usual suspects who partly work with the same acclaimed directors again and again. In a few of his interviews one could read it between the lines, too. All in all he hasn't made enough movies over the years IMO. I know you disagree and will bring up his stage work, his family and all kind of explanations.

I've said it before, fine for you, that you have the means to come to New York and see his shows - for most fans it's simply not possible!

I think about his career in a more "thoughtful manner" and don't sugarcoat everything. And excuse me, that I don't express my "dislikes" - or rather my worries - in a "more positive way"!!! I don't do it, because I wish him bad luck or are annoyed with him, but because I'd like to see him and his work for as many years as possible and hope he finally receives all the accolades he deserves - hence I'm a bit worried that his movie career might be on a decline, if he is too long away and misses too many opportunities.

That's it for me here on this subject!

[jo]

I agree with you that he has not had the opportunity to be tied in with a well-known film director/auteur. He may have worked with Nolan or Aronofsky or Oscar winner Tom Hooper, or budding auteur Villeneuve, etc., but they were for one movie each only. Not really continuing relationships. But his work with Mangold ( who is getting more and more recognized in Hollywood now) has been promising ( and hopefully there will be some other future collaborations)… And yes, it seems that he does not really receive very many choice roles - as he says, he is sometimes even a second choice. But 2017 was an extraordinary year for him - with the success of LOGAN and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN!

But within the ambit of his appeal to Hollywood movers and shakers ( mostly directors like Tarantino who has DiCaprio and Pitt, Scorcese who has DiCaprio, Spielberg with his choice actors, the famous trio of Mexican directors, even Villeneuve has Gyllenhaal, etc - but one does not apply with them to be given a role even if maybe his agent sounds them off -- they do their own choosing!) -- he does get only the occasional choice roles. That he took the path towards stardom, not in many character roles, but has been identified more for his Wolverine role than anything else... is maybe the pragmatic approach that he had to take.

For one, he is not an American actor who grew up in Hollywood movies ( like LeoD or even a a Welsh actor like Bale who grew up in Hollywood, etc) - he was plucked from the London stage to be in a comic book adaptation that made him a household name but not as a dramatic actor. Maybe that is the price?

But he came back to his roots in the theatre where both musical theatre and dramatic roles may have given him professional satisfaction. After all, it has been universally said that the theatre is an actor's medium vs film which is the director's medium!

After giving up the Wolverine role, he is now trodding a different path in his film roles- first, he took in 2 indies ( very well-praised for his performance in an almost revelatory way) but the box office impact for the first was abysmal and the second now finds its way to the small screen. But hopefully Reminiscence can be more promising in terms of appeal and manner of film distribution.



This has been an excellent year for Hugh, though --


*Getting recognized with a Grammy for his spillover work from The Greatest Showman

*There is also a widening public perception of his versatility ( especially with the contrasting work he did for Logan and Greatest Showman...and more recently with his work on Bad Education).

*Being received in a very successful way for his tour ( excellent reviews, repeat patronage, and financial results which could hover in the $ 90 million territory after the tour ends).

*Getting profuse praise for his work in Bad Education, with people saying that he could walk away with an Emmy next year ( although I am holding on to some hope that HBO MAX will follow the path of other streamers and the movie gets at least a limited release).

*An exciting new film project right after he ends his tour ( Reminiscence/Jade Earring) - with a bit of the famous Nolan clan touch, perhaps? And the writer-director Lisa Joy-Nolan did say she wrote the character with only one actor in mind - Hugh Jackman! Lisa's husband and co-producer is the co-screenwriter of brother Chris Nolan. It has been picked up for distribution by Warner Bros.

*An announcement of his return to Broadway in an event-type production of a revival of The Music Man! Ticket sales have started ( and very successfully) in a hitherto unheard of conditions of no-theatre-has-been-named and the ticket sale is a-year-ahead-of-previews. It is also being produced by one of Broadway and Hollywood's ( Social Network/ No Country for Old Men/ True Grit/ Revolutionary Road/ The Hours/ etc,). most successful producers ( an EGOT to his name)

Let's hope his future projects continue to have a good measure of success.

Jo

[pebbles]

All true, he has had a lot of "B" films. I've never really felt connected with his authenticity in film (except Logan) the same way that I have with the theater experience. I feel he emotes almost too much on film as if trying to reach the back of the house, to the degree that it has made me uncomfortable on occasion, particularly in Les Mis. I've often wondered whether it is more difficult for a stage actor to translate to film than a film actor to stage. I believe he was born to be on stage, it is clearly his first love, he is masterful and touches me deeply in that venue.

[jo]

Yes, there is some truth to your observation, pebbles

And you can glean it from the way his portrayal in Bad Education has been described -- paraphrasing :

*"HJ is not known for subtlety in his portrayal till now" but you could sense the feeling that those who have seen the movie are reacting to his portrayal as different - no longer as movie star but as film actor!

But it is how impressed the top critics ( who have hitherto not been fans of his acting) that drives home the point of his evolution as an actor.

Variety's Chief Film Critic Owen Gleiberman did not do the review of BAD EDUCATION, but in a summary of the best TIFF movies, he said that " HJ has become an audacious actor" ( which I understand to mean that he has now become more compelling with his film acting choices and which he delivers) and summarizes the film as one which characterizes HJ as "one of the most bracing actors" ("bracing" referring to being "fresh and invigorating" ? ).

Another top and many times an unforgiving top critic is Indiewire's David Erlich ( boy, did he diss Greatest Showman with such sarcasm, while acknowledging Hugh Jackman's ability to sell anything!) but this time has only praise for Hugh.

RogerEbert.com editor ( A much-respected review site), Brian Tallerico, now praises HJ's performance in Bad Education as one of the best at TIFF!

Top critic A.A.Dowd of AVClub calls his portrayal in Bad Education as " Hugh Jackman - in one of his most intelligent and complicated performances"), a description rarely bestowed on HJ.


LOGAN did draw attention to HJ's acting -- Peter Travers of Rolling Stone ( who always speaks his own mind, calling Greatest Showman a " shrill blast of nothing" and rating it 1.5 of 4 stars) ) has described Hugh's portrayal as "has never been better or more emotionally alive" and this despite the violent R-rated tone of the movie. I like the way he writes that "LOGAN earns its tears!"



My own favorite moments from his acting -- is when he does not speak or shout but when his face is in repose and he acts with his eyes only. Thus --

*In Prisoners -- what impressed me was not the scene in the car with Jake G or the very violent hammer scene … but when he saw the bloodied sock of his daughter and he starts to tremble and then the tears well up in his eyes

*In Les Misérables -- the Valjean Soliloquy is always highlighted as his best acting moments - but if I could pick what was the most subtle transformation and showed the beginning of redemption was when the Bishop tells him that he failed to take the silver and Valjean, with his eyes and face moving (but not talking) was showing the feeling of shock at this kindness...and was having an inner war within himself if this could be! And that time in "Suddenly", when he sang the song like a lullaby...

*On stage, maybe one of the reasons why A Steady Rain is a favorite with me -- is one of the final scenes. He was already spent physically, emotionally, mentally -- and he sat down by the stage front with Daniel Craig reminiscing the childhood ties which bound them together. I was lucky to have seen the show on front or second row a number of times, so I could see every detail on the actors faces. At one point, his character must have been so touched by the recollections because tears welled up...and I could see a solitary tear coursing down his cheek. He sat there not moving, but letting the emotion overcome him through that solitary tear. And this happened every time I saw the show ( 4 times) -- I could not believe it!


Okay - why does he create the impression that he is too strong a presence on screen and make people ( like you) feel that it must be the stage training that takes over? I think, in all honesty, that it is his physical presence that over-emphasizes it. He has a very masculine aura ( and his height and build ...and even his finely-chiseled face … tend to overemphasize it) and this creates the impression of too much forceful acting! Maybe so! That is why he is very good as Wolverine ( you can almost feel the undercurrent, by him simply standing there)... He is not an actor who always looks as if he is brooding! If you take a more puny-looking actor like Robert Downey or Jake Gyllenhaal and they do something similar - it just does not seem as too forceful or threatening!

Another interesting actor quality in Hugh -- he has such a vocal range ( speaking voice-wise) -- he can sound very seductive, tender, funny, stern, frightening, uber-violent) and that adds up to this impression that his acting is too defined by too strong an impression that he creates on screen!

Not meaning to diss any actor - I just wanted to make a comparison. It is interesting that Downey himself was quoted how impressed he was with how Jackman delivered Angier's dying monologue in The Prestige. He said that it was one of the most difficult that an actor may be asked to portray and deliver. I have also read comments about noted actors like Bale criticized for his one-note acting ( always the same brooding presence)… but to each his own taste.

So, starting with the 2 indies that Hugh decided to use as his experiment towards moving on the actor's "path not taken" (Sorry, Robert Frost!), we may be seeing that side of Hugh that loves acting and is trying to improve himself with each portrayal!

Btw, I have read the first draft of the Reminiscence (Jade Earring) script -- and it is going to be quite an acting challenge. It is described as a romantic sci-fi thriller, but I hope director cum screenwriter Lisa Joy-Nolan steers Hugh towards more of a character portrayal compared to the overall canvass of the storytelling. After all, she has said in public that she wrote the character with only ONE actor in mind : Hugh Jackman!

Jo

[jo]

Having said all that -- and this veers away from the topic of Film roles...

I do wonder what "fresh and invigorating" impression will he create in THE MUSIC MAN that will make audiences feel that he is different from... and can take head on... the iconic Robert Preston portrayal ?

Will it be a more charming and more romantic interpretation ( which can be helped by his own personal qualities)?

Or will it be the opposite - a more startling/mesmerizing ( as if the townspeople are put under a spell by his bad boy persona) portrayal?

Just wondering --

it could even be a complete surprise

Jo

[luzie]

Sept 29, 2019 23:17:58 GMT -5 pebbles said:

All true, he has had a lot of "B" films. I've never really felt connected with his authenticity in film (except Logan) the same way that I have with the theater experience. I feel he emotes almost too much on film as if trying to reach the back of the house, to the degree that it has made me uncomfortable on occasion, particularly in Les Mis. I've often wondered whether it is more difficult for a stage actor to translate to film than a film actor to stage. I believe he was born to be on stage, it is clearly his first love, he is masterful and touches me deeply in that venue.

To each his own, but I completely disagree! No offence, but I regard this as a diss of his acting skills! Frankly, you sound more like all those critics and haters, who diss his acting as "over-acting", than as a fan who asserts "to love him". Apparently you belong to the privileged people who can afford his shows on Broadway and you prefer theatre to movies, fine, but there is no reason to bash his acting in his movies - on top of that in a public fan board. Most of his movies are B films??? Seriously??

I in particular love his more calmer and nonverbal scenes in movies like in Front Runner, or the scene in Prisoners, that Jo has mentioned, or his worried facial expression in Les Miserables when he meets Javert again and has to worry that he recognizes him, or his crying scene in The Fountain etc. ... etc. ... etc. ..There are enough of this kind of scenes in all of his movies - you only have to be open-minded enough to watch them! I don't mind, if you don't like one or two of his films, it's your personal taste. Or if you prefer his stage work. But to bash his acting in his movies in general - as a so-called FAN! - is inacceptable for me! It's actually an insult! I also like some of his movies more than a few others, but HE has never disappointed me with his performances!

[jo]

This is particularly thought-provoking!!


Is this for a new film role?

http://instagram.com/p/B3WvI8pHRU3

Why the language if this is just for a product ad?


Of course, I am just guessing wildly -LOL!


Jo

[jo]

Not even a rumor -- but Mike Fleming of Deadline.com adds this idea as part of his wishful thinking list


deadline.com/2019/11/the-bee-gees-movie-anthony-mccarten-writing-bohemian-rhapsody-the-two-popes-paramount-1202778266/

‘The Two Popes’ Scribe Anthony McCarten In Bee Gees Pic Talks
By Mike Fleming Jr

Mike Fleming Jr
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Film

@deadlinemike

November 6, 2019 11:04am


EXCLUSIVE: Anthony McCarten is in talks to write the script for the Bee Gees movie that Paramount Pictures is making with producer-financier Sister, Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King’s GK Films, and Amblin Partners. The Oscar-nominated McCarten most recently scripted the upcoming Netflix film The Two Popes, the Fernando Meirelles-directed drama that stars Anthony Hopkins as Catholic Church Pope Benedict and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis. That film will be released November 27.

McCarten has the distinction of having written three recent biopics that resulted in Best Actor trophies for the stars of those films. Eddie Redmayne won for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Gary Oldman won for Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and most recently Rami Malek won for Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, which was produced by King. I can imagine a spray-tanned Hugh Jackman making a good match for the rugged-looking falsetto-vocalizing Barry Gibb, who became group leader during the Bee Gees’ disco era rebirth, and McCarten’s streak certainly won’t hurt in securing actors to play Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. There are no actor attachments at this point.


Deadline revealed last week that the rights deal on the long gestating Bee Gees project had been made with Barry Gibb and the estate by GK Films’ King, and that Paramount and Sister had stepped up. Because Amblin had also been part of those unavailing attempts to make the rights deal, Steven Spielberg reportedly read the Deadline break and appealed to Paramount’s Jim Gianopulos and Amblin Partners was given a 25% co-fi stake in the production. Sister, the venture just launched by Elisabeth Murdoch, Snider and Chernobyl producer Jane Featherstone, will come on as either a producing partner or a co-financier in its first U.S. project.

The Bee Gees accounted for worldwide sales of more than 220 million records, established them as one of the biggest-selling groups of all time. Just when the early iteration of the pop band seemed to hit the wall partly because of the rise of disco, the trio got a second wind and became more popular than ever, after writing the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever, which prolonged the popularity of disco and became one of the top-selling albums ever.


McCarten has been nominated for three Academy Awards and five BAFTAs, winning two of the latter. Earlier this week, he was honored at the Hollywood Film Awards as Screenwriter of the Year. He’s also developing, with Neil Diamond, Diamond’s life story as a Broadway musical.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees



Hugh can do pop/rock... and we do not know if there is also an emphasis on any dramatic underpinnings to the Bee Gees story!

There might be an age-appropriateness issue raised by some, but if Hugh plays Barry Gibb from his 30's and into his older age ...and depending on the storyline...and if old friend/boss Jim Gianopulos wants that casting ( and Stacey Snider is part of the SISTER Company headed by Elizabeth Murdoch) - why ever not

Most importantly -- Hugh is an Aussie! The Gibbs brothers were born in England but were raised and became popular in Australia first.


But Hugh won't be free from July( start rehearsals) to Sept 2021 for The Music Man.

Unless the film project is ready to roll by late winter 2020? But the script has not been written, so...

Jo

[jo]

[sohmerwood]

Okay, this one didn’t happen...probably for the best.
www.vulture.com/2020/04/hugh-jackman-cats-movie.html

Hugh turned down a role in Cats. I know I wondered if Tom Hooper asked. Now it comes out!

[jo]

WOW! Great and exhilarating news!!

Hugh Jackman and a dramatic episode in the life of ENZO FERRARI!


deadline.com/2020/06/hugh-jackman-ferrari-michael-mann-movie-stx-amazon-cannes-1202962040/#comment-2840315

BREAKING NEWS
Michael Mann-Hugh Jackman Movie ‘Ferrari’ Zooms Into Cannes Virtual Market


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Michael Mann & Hugh Jackman Movie ‘Ferrari’ Zooms Onto Cannes Virtual Market Grid With STX & Amazon

By Andreas Wiseman

Andreas Wiseman
International Editor


Michael Mann Hugh Jackman Enzo Ferrari

(L-R) Michael Mann, Hugh Jackman and Enzo Ferrari
Shutterstock


EXCLUSIVE: Michael Mann’s passion project Ferrari is in the market on a new set of tyres ahead of an anticipated spring 2021 shoot.


The Greatest Showman and Logan star Hugh Jackman is in discussions to star as Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari and Mann has recently reworked the script, which was originally penned by the late Troy Kennedy Martin (The Italian Job).


STX is now handling international sales and will directly distribute the film in the UK and Ireland. We understand Amazon is tying up a deal to bolster international with STX and has been integral in the process. CAA Media Finance arranged the financing and is repping domestic.


The big-canvas racing drama instantly becomes one of the hottest projects at the Cannes virtual market. Four-time Oscar-nominee Mann will give a virtual presentation for buyers on Tuesday and the new script is hitting key distributors today.



The film will chart the summer of 1957 when all the forces in Ferrari’s life – which were often as combustible and volatile as the iconic race cars he built – collided. The now legendary car company he and his wife Laura built was at the time going broke. Their tempestuous marriage had already suffered the death of their son, Dino, and Ferrari’s other son, 12-year old Piero, the product of a wartime romance, was struggling to find his place in the world.

The entrepreneur rolled the dice for all their futures on one race – 1,000 miles across Italy, the brutal and infamous 1957 Mille Miglia. The film will be framed so that during the highly dangerous race, Laura discovers long kept secrets, we see opportunities rise and fade, and drivers, who are like surrogate sons, are pushed beyond the edge.


Heat director Mann, who first started discussing the idea of the film with the late Sydney Pollack, told me: “The real power of this piece is in the emotionally charged lives of these people in complex, extreme circumstances. In addition, there is the explosive power and lethal beauty of racing. It has a great drama at its core and that’s why Ferrari stayed with me.”


The movie, which has been a passion of Mann’s for almost two decades, has an almost Godfather-type feel to it and is rich in local flavour but also universal truths. Mann, who is familiar with the Ferrari family, will build a fleet of replica race cars from the era. We hear that Jackman and Mann have already read through some of the film’s most potent scenes.


Mann, who was recently an exec producer on Ford vs Ferrari, will produce via his Forward Pass production banner along with a producing team of Birdman producer John Lesher and Black Magic’s Lars Sylvest and Thorsten Schumacher, Gareth West, and Niels Juul.

The script is based on Brock Yates’ book Enzo Ferrari – The Man And The Machine.

"Sono una tifosa della FERRARI!"  ( Hopefully, that is still how " I am a fan of Ferrari!" translates)...  First sentence I learned when I went on a tour of Italy years ago!

I have been to 3 Formula-1 races ( Monaco/Montreal) and have cheered for the team of The PRANCING HORSE since way back! I was lucky to have seen Michael Schumacher race in those 3 times I have been to an F-1 race.

This is NOT a biopic of the legendary ENZO FERRARI -- but a dramatic episode later in his life!

That Hugh Jackman will get to portray him in this interesting episode of his life -- what more could I ask for?!!


For one, we don't know when The Music Man will actually open on Broadway. Some realistic guesses it could be as late as fall of 2021...who knows, it could even be later.

But this would be a great opportunity for Hugh to move in another direction in his film career while awaiting the turn of events on Broadway!



Not bad, too -- Michael Mann is a 4-time Oscar nominee for directing work.


Bit of gossipy speculations on my part -- First time that it is only CAA which is packaging the project. Maybe because it is AMAZON ( Bezos territory) which is expected to finance the project... and that's why WME is out of the picture?

Anyway - can you all see that I am very excited over this piece of news!


Jo

[jo]

No, no - there are no film rumors.

But film sites are batting for a remake idea when Hugh was supposed to have said (in jest) that he is willing to do a comedy cum action movie, the remake of FACE OFF ( originally starring Travolta and NCage).

Hugh Jackman Open To Doing Face/Off Remake With Ryan Reynolds
Hugh Jackman says that he'd be open to starring in a remake of Face/Off with Ryan Reynolds, but has some shooting demands that must be met.

BY DANIEL GILLESPIE
23 HOURS AGO

Hugh Jackman Open To Doing Face_Off Remake With Ryan Reynolds

Hugh Jackman says that he'd be open to starring in a remake of Face/Off with Ryan Reynolds, but has some shooting demands that must be met. The 1997 John Woo action film starred Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as an arch-criminal and an FBI agent who end up swapping faces and face-off against each other in a battle to the death. Despite the ridiculous premise, the movie did fairly well at the box office, and has become known as a perfect example of bombastic, over-the-top 1990s action movies, standing alongside other examples, like The Rock, of 90s action nostalgia.

In recent years, there have been reports that a Face/Off remake is in the works from the writer of 22 Jump Street, leading fans to speculate who might take on the roles in a contemporary version. From The Rock to Keanu Reeves, almost every action star of the time has been mentioned as a possibility, and Reynolds and Jackman are no different. The actors share a unique bond in the world of movies, given that they have long had a very public "feud" in which they pretend to hate each other, sharing insults and trading barbs on social media, and even their movies, with Reynolds making a number of cracks about Jackman in Deadpool and Deadpool 2.


Now, in an interview with SiriusXM, Jackman has said that he would be open to starring in a remake of Face/Off with Reynolds, after being asked by one of the hosts if he'd heard that fans on Reddit were campaigning for them to appear together. However, continuing to play in to their public feud, Jackman said that they would have to shoot it in such a way as to ensure they never met, asking "is it possible to shoot it where we're never actually together? I'm open to that."


While Jackman is responding in jest, the thought of him and Reynolds teaming up for a self-aware Face/Off remake actually sounds incredibly tantalizing. Both actors are known for their action chops, as well as their ability to be funny, and a remake that acknowledges the ridiculous premise while still delivering on the action would suit both actors perfectly. Additionally, given that both men are tall and muscular, their physical resemblance is a lot closer than Travolta and Cage, who have very different body types.

Unfortunately, given Reynolds' busy upcoming movie schedule, and Jackman's preference for song-and-dance movies like The Showman, or dramas like HBO's Bad Education these days, the pairing is unlikely to happen. This aside from the fact that the actor's salaries would immediately push the production budget north of $100 million (unless they were willing to take pay cuts). However, fans can always hold out hope, as the idea of seeing Jackman and Reynolds literally face-off in Face/Off seems to good to dismiss entirely.

Hmm...


Jo

[njr]

I would definitely pay good money to see those two remake Face/Off! I loved the original!

Nancy

[jo]

Cinemablend puts up a feature on future Hugh Jackman film/stage projects

www.cinemablend.com/news/2565025/upcoming-hugh-jackman-movies?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

However, only REMINISCENCE and THE MUSIC MAN are definite. The FERRARI project has been reported recently by The Hollywood Reporter as in further development.

Longtime project announcements such as THE GOOD SPY ( the director has moved on to other projects) and APOSTLE PAUL seem no longer feasible. Hope I am wrong and the last two can still survive the long development cycle.


Jo

[hughmanity]

Sometimes when not expected...a new film role announcement!

variety.com/2021/film/global/hugh-jackman-laura-dern-the-son-florian-zeller-1234951082/

[jo]

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hugh-jackman-laura-dern-to-star-in-the-son-florian-zellers-follow-up-to-the-father?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social


I was jumping up and down at the news

Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern to Star in 'The Son,' Florian Zeller's Follow-Up to 'The Father'
6:30 AM PDT 4/14/2021 by Alex Ritman

Hugh Jackman Laura Dern
Dia Dipasupil/WireImage; Steve Granitz/WireImage



See-Saw Films is producing the drama, which like Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning 'The Father,' is adapted from one of Zeller's stage plays.

The Father may still be in the awards race — a two-time BAFTA winner last weekend and currently up for six Oscars, including best film, best actor for Anthony Hopkins and best supporting actress for Olivia Colman — but writer/director Florian Zeller has wasted no time on capitalizing on his directorial debut's momentum to get moving on the follow-up. And he's lined up another pair of top-level names to star.

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern are teaming up for The Son, with See-Saw Films joining the production. Oscar winners Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (Ammonite, Lion, The King’s Speech) produce with Joanna Laurie for See-Saw, alongside Christophe Spadone (The Father) and Zeller. Film4 is co-financing again, with Cross City Films and Embankment launching international sales and with Cross City Films and CAA Media Finance co-repping U.S. rights.

Like The Father, The Son is adapted by Zeller and Christopher Hampton from one of Zeller's own stage plays, part of a trilogy of family-centric dramas that also includes The Mother.


While The Father explored the devastating emotional impact of dementia, The Son will focus its lens on adolescent depression. The story follows Peter (Jackman) as his busy life with new partner Emma and their baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate (Dern) turns up with their troubled and angry teenage son, Nicholas.

Peter strives to be a better father, searching to help his son with intimate and instinctive moments of family happiness — to solve, with understanding, what Nicholas is going through. But the weight of Nicholas’ condition sets the family on a dangerous course, and they must do everything they can to maintain the bonds that hold them together.

"The Son is a deeply human story which, I believe, connects us all; I hope audiences will be profoundly moved by this family’s journey," said Zeller. "Both Hugh and Laura naturally convey great warmth, compassion, and vulnerability… inviting our audience to embrace and feel every moment. The story is set in a vibrant and very much alive New York, an important character. The movie should make us call family and friends to tell them that they are wholly loved and not alone."



In almost identical trajectory to its predecessor, The Son originally debuted on stage in Paris (as Le Fils) in 2018 before moving to London's West End in 2019 to rave reviews.

"Having been lucky enough to see The Father at Sundance, we knew that Florian was a uniquely talented filmmaker," said See-Saw's Canning and Sherman. "The Son is a story that needs to be told - a story that rings an alarm. Through examining the human condition and our vulnerabilities, this film will strike a chord with audiences and leave an indelible mark on all who see it."

Added Embankment’s Tim Haslam: "For the audience, The Son is visceral, authentic, compelling, and cathartic; intimately close to decisions that many families have to make. The Son makes us respond, reconnect with those around us, with the gift of understanding and awareness."


Executive producers are Jackman, Simon Gillis for See-Saw Films, Daniel Battsek, Lauren Dark and Ollie Madden for Film4, Philippe Carcassonne for Ciné-@ and Haslam and Hugo Grumbar for Embankment.

Hugh Jackman is represented by WME and Lou Coulson Associates. Laura Dern is represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. Florian Zeller is represented by CAA. Christopher Hampton is represented by CAA and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.

Among a lengthy array of honors and accolades, The Father won the BAFTA awards for leading actor (for Hopkins) and best adapted screenplay (for Zeller and Hampton), the Satellite award for best adapted screenplay, and the British Independent Film Award for actor, screenplay and editing (for Yorgos Lamprinos).

It is going to be a strong drama, a genre where Hugh has impressed so much ( such as in Prisoners). He is really moving into a career path where his role calls for the finest acting skills, whether drama or dark comedy.


Jo

[jo]

If I may, hughmanity

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern to Star in ‘The Son,’ From ‘The Father’ Director Florian Zeller and Cowriter Christopher Hampton

By Leo Barraclough

Plus Icon
Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern Star in
Courtesy of Ben Watts


Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern will star in “The Son,” writer-director Florian Zeller’s follow-up to the BAFTA winning and Academy Award nominated “The Father.” The film is adapted from Zeller’s acclaimed stage play by Zeller and Christopher Hampton, who is Oscar nominated for adapting “The Father” with Zeller, and who won an Oscar with “Dangerous Liaisons,” and was Oscar nominated with “Atonement.”

Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who were Oscar nominated for best picture for “Lion,” and won the best picture Oscar for “The King’s Speech,” and Joanna Laurie of See-Saw Films produce with Christophe Spadone (“The Father”), alongside Zeller. Film4 is co-financing production.

Cross City Films and Embankment are launching international sales on “The Son,” while Cross City and CAA Media Finance are co-representing the U.S. rights.



In “The Son,” Peter (Jackman) has a busy life with new partner Emma and their baby. This is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate (Dern) turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas.

We sense something is amiss from the first moment we meet Nicholas. He is troubled, distant, and angry, playing truant from school for months – both son and mother need his father’s help. Nicholas’s wish is to live with his father for a change.

Peter strives to be a better father, searching to help his son with those intimate and instinctive moments of family happiness – to solve, with understanding, what Nicholas is going through. But the weight of Nicholas’ condition sets the family on a dangerous course. They must do everything they can to maintain the bonds that hold them together.



Zeller said: “‘The Son’ is a deeply human story which, I believe, connects us all; I hope audiences will be profoundly moved by this family’s journey. Both Hugh and Laura naturally convey great warmth, compassion, and vulnerability… inviting our audience to embrace and feel every moment. The story is set in a vibrant and very much alive New York, an important character. The movie should make us call family and friends to tell them that they are wholly loved and not alone.”


Zeller is enjoying acclaim for his debut movie “The Father,” released in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Classics on Feb. 26. The film won two BAFTAs and is nominated for six academy Awards for best picture, adapted screenplay, editing, production design, leading actor and supporting actress.

See-Saw’s Canning and Sherman said: “Having been lucky enough to see ‘The Father’ at Sundance 2019 we knew that Florian was a uniquely talented filmmaker. ‘The Son’ is a story that needs to be told – a story that rings an alarm. Through examining the human condition and our vulnerabilities, this film will strike a chord with audiences and leave an indelible mark on all who see it.”

Embankment’s Tim Haslam said: “For the audience, ‘The Son’ is visceral, authentic, compelling, and cathartic; intimately close to decisions that many families have to make. ‘The Son’ makes us respond, reconnect with those around us, with the gift of understanding and awareness.”


Executive producers are Jackman, Simon Gillis for See-Saw Films, Daniel Battsek, Lauren Dark and Ollie Madden for Film4, Philippe Carcassonne for Ciné-@, and Haslam and Hugo Grumbar for Embankment.

Jackman is represented by WME and Lou Coulson Associates. Dern is represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. Zeller is represented by CAA. Hampton is represented by CAA and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.

Embankment, whose slate includes “The Father,” recently launched international sales on “Golda,” starring Helen Mirren, and is executive producing “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” starring Jim Broadbent, which they launched at Berlin’s European Film Market.

It is a New York-based story.

It will likely start filming when the pandemic situation eases even more towards summer?

Rehearsals for The Music Man will likely not happen till October?


Jo

[jo]

Breaking News Headline on Deadline.com --

deadline.com/2021/04/hugh-jackman-laura-dern-the-son-father-florian-zeller-follow-up-1234734035/

Hugh Jackman & Laura Dern To Star In Florian Zeller’s ‘The Son’, See-Saw To Produce Follow-Up To Oscar-Nominee ‘The Father’
By Andreas Wiseman

Hugh Jackman & Laura Dern To Star In Florian Zeller’s ‘The Son’, See-Saw To Produce Follow-Up To Oscar-Nominee ‘The Father’

April 14, 2021 6:30am

Hugh Jackman / Laura Dern
Ben Watts / Agency Courtesy


Oscar-nominee Hugh Jackman and Oscar-winner Laura Dern have been set to star in blue-chip feature drama The Son, writer-director Florian Zeller’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated movie The Father.

Oscar-winners Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech), and Joanna Laurie of See-Saw Films, produce with Christophe Spadone (The Father) alongside Zeller. Film4 are co-financing production.

Cross City Films and Embankment are launching international sales, with Cross City Films and CAA Media Finance co-representing U.S. rights.

Adapted by Zeller and Oscar-winner Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), from Zeller’s acclaimed stage play, The Son focuses on Peter (Hugh Jackman) as his busy life with new partner Emma and their baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas. The young man is is troubled, distant, and angry, playing truant from school for months. Peter strives to be a better father, searching to help his son with those intimate and instinctive moments of family happiness. But the weight of Nicholas’ condition sets the family on a dangerous course.



Writer-director Florian Zeller said: “The Son is a deeply human story which, I believe, connects us all; I hope audiences will be profoundly moved by this family’s journey. Both Hugh and Laura naturally convey great warmth, compassion, and vulnerability… inviting our audience to embrace and feel every moment. The story is set in a vibrant and very much alive New York, an important character. The movie should make us call family and friends to tell them that they are wholly loved and not alone.”

Zeller is currently enjoying acclaim for his debut movie The Father, released in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Classics in February. The film, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, has won two BAFTAs and is nominated for six Oscars Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Production Design, Leading Actor and Supporting Actress.

See-Saw’s Iain Canning and Emile Sherman commented: “Having been lucky enough to see The Father at Sundance 2019 we knew that Florian was a uniquely talented filmmaker. The Son is a story that needs to be told – a story that rings an alarm. Through examining the human condition and our vulnerabilities, this film will strike a chord with audiences and leave an indelible mark on all who see it.”


Executive producers are Hugh Jackman, Simon Gillis for See-Saw Films, Daniel Battsek, Lauren Dark and Ollie Madden for Film4, Philippe Carcassonne for Ciné-@ and Tim Haslam and Hugo Grumbar for Embankment.

Hugh Jackman is represented by WME and Lou Coulson Associates. Laura Dern is represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. Florian Zeller is represented by CAA. Christopher Hampton is represented by CAA and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.

[jo]

Of course, Hugh confirms the project

[jo]

Still on the HOPING stage -- but hope it happens right after the end of Hugh's TMM run


www.spin1038.com/movies-and-tv/shawn-levy-promises-spin-a-movie-starring-both-ryan-reynolds-hugh-jackman-1319469

Shawn Levy Promises SPIN A Movie Starring Both Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman
Tara Walsh
TARA WALSH
02:04 8 MAR 2022



Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman
Director Shawn Levy has promised us he will team up with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman for a movie.

He's worked with both actors separately, and fans have been dying to see them on screen together.

In an interview with SPIN's Sarina Bellissimo, he promised it will happen.


Shawn and Ryan previously worked together on Free Guy, and their new movie The Adam Project drops on Netflix this Friday.

The director told Sarina that we have Hugh Jackman to thank for their friendship.

It turns out Hugh told him about Ryan when they worked together on the 2011 film Real Steel.


Shawn remembered, "Hugh said, 'Mate, if you and Ryan ever make a movie together, you won't stop.'"

"He just somehow knew that Ryan and I would gel and just connect in a way both as guys and as creatives that would be really special."

"Now in return, I now need to be the guy who unites all three of us on a movie."


Very confidently, Shawn said, "It's going to happen and it will be me who directs it."

Speaking of reunions, the director unintentionally reunited 13 Going On 30's Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner in The Adam Project.

On this, he said, "When I picked Mark for the movie and then a little while later Jen, stupidly, I didn't even realise I was reuniting Jenna and Matty."



"It was Ryan who pointed out, 'You realise you're giving the world what they've been waiting for like 18 years for."

"So that was a delightful bonus," he added.

Watch the full interview here:



The Adam Project premieres on Netflix this Friday, March 11th.

For the interview - please check link inside the article.


Jo


EDIT:

It's on YouTube --

[jo]

One other link in real life --

The eldest girl (among 3) admiring ATOM in REAL STEEL --

she is now Hugh's PA for The Music Man on Broadway--

Sophie Levy (Barnard grad), eldest daughter of Shawn Levy!

Jo

[jo]

Hmm... it will likely be a comedy.

Hopefully, it is a road comedy turned thriller! Maybe Blake Lively in the movie, too?

Or since Shawn featured Hugh as King Arthur in that CAMELOT cameo on Night at the Museum 3 --

maybe a bit of song and dance between mates Hugh and Ryan

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Speculation or in the works?

*It is listed on IMDB...but it is classified as IN DEVELOPMENT. Last updating was Feb 2019 (pre-pandemic).

*Has the project been updated now?

*Has the supposed cast been approached for the project?




Btw, here is a synopsis from the IMDB listing --

Set in Australia.

Haunted by a past incident that killed a man and his daughter, a cop investigates a serial killer case that appears to be connected to this past tragedy.

[jo]

PITTWATER author replied to my inquiry on project status --